Department for Transport

Emergency Services: Vehicles

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of reforming the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 to allow volunteer emergency first responders use of green flashing lights.

Trudy Harrison: Green flashing lamps are currently the preserve of vehicles used by doctors registered with the General Medical Council and the Government has made no assessment of the effects of allowing an extension of their use to cover volunteer emergency first responders. The Government considers that the categories of vehicles allowed to use warning beacons should remain strictly limited to avoid diluting the safety benefits of these important signals.

Railways: Finance

Sam Tarry: To the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021, page 110, if he will publish the forecast relating to the recovery of rail revenues.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department has developed a number of scenarios of possible rail demand, but there is a huge range of uncertainty given the pandemic is ongoing. The Department considers a wide range of evidence in determining its budget requirements.

Heathrow Airport: Railways

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the Western Rail Link to Heathrow was not included in the Union Connectivity Review.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Sir Peter Hendy’s Union Connectivity Review was an independent review and it is not for the UK Government to respond to questions about what was and was not included.

Transport for London

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the implications for its policies of recent reports that Transport for London is set to enter a state of managed decline.

Trudy Harrison: The Government has provided Transport for London (TfL) with more than £4 billion of support through three extraordinary funding and financing agreements since May 2020. In addition, the recent Spending Review settlement provided over a billion pounds of capital investment per year for TfL, in line with previous funding, at a time of significant pressure on the national finances. We continue to work closely with TfL to support it onto a sustainable financial footing while ensuring a fair deal for the taxpayer.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether electric charging points for cars can also act as electric charging points for (a) cycles and scooters and (b) phones.

Trudy Harrison: The Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulations specify the technical specifications that all publicly accessible changepoints must meet in the UK. Any vehicle type, from cars and vans, to L-category vehicles such as mopeds and motorbikes, may use these chargepoints if they have been built to the same technical specifications. The Regulations specify that these chargepoints are designed for electric vehicles (EVs), defined as being ‘equipped with a powertrain containing at least one non-peripheral electric machine as energy convertor with an electric rechargeable energy storage system, which can be recharged externally’. While this does not include mobile phones, a phone could be charged while connected to the vehicle. EV chargepoints are designed for the use of EV cars and vans and are not compatible with e-scooters and bikes which can be charged using a three-pin plug.

Cycling: Training

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been provided for cycle training to each local authority, including TfL, in each of the last three years.

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding for cycle training is available to Transport for London in 2021-22; and how does that amount compare with that of the previous five financial years.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Delivery statistics for the period 2006/7-2019/20, showing the amount of funding allocated and subsequently provided to each local authority in England, outside London, are published on the Bikeability website at https://www.bikeability.org.uk/about/funding-and-delivery/ . The funding of cycle training in the capital is a matter for the Mayor of London. Since the start of the pandemic the Department has made over £200 million of funding available to Transport for London (TfL) and the London boroughs to support the delivery of active travel measures in the capital, including a one-off £2 million payment to enable more adult cycle training in the summer of 2020. Decisions on how to use the funding including how much to allocate to individual boroughs are a matter for the Mayor of London and TfL.

Transport: Thamesmead

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the future transport capacity required in Thamesmead in order to support planned housing developments.

Trudy Harrison: The Government is committed to supporting the delivery of housing across the country, including in London, ensuring developments are supported by appropriate transport infrastructure as we build back better from this pandemic. The Government and Homes England are working together with the Greater London Authority and Transport for London to explore the scale of the opportunity, and potential options, at Thamesmead & Beckton Riverside.

Docklands Light Railway: Thamesmead

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with Transport for London on extending the potential merits of extending the Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead.

Trudy Harrison: The Government is committed to supporting the delivery of housing across the country, including in London, ensuring developments are supported by appropriate transport infrastructure as we build back better from this pandemic. Exploratory work to assess the scale of the opportunity and potential options at Thamesmead & Beckton Riverside is underway, with the Government and Homes England working together with the Greater London Authority and Transport for London.

Docklands Light Railway: Thamesmead

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead.

Trudy Harrison: The Government is committed to supporting the delivery of housing across the country, including in London, ensuring developments are supported by appropriate transport infrastructure as we build back better from this pandemic. The scale of the opportunity, and potential options, at Thamesmead & Beckton Riverside is being explored. The Government and Homes England are working together with the Greater London Authority and Transport for London to do this.

Transport for London: Property Transfer

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the letter from his Department to the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet dated 17 November 2021 regarding the proposals by the Mayor of London to build over a number of station car parks, what permissions he has granted to the Mayor of London in each of the last five years to dispose of Transport for London property in the boroughs of (a) Barnet, (b) Enfield and (c) Harrow.

Trudy Harrison: Under section 163 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999, Transport for London is able, with the consent of the Secretary of State, to dispose of any of its property which in the opinion of the Mayor is not required by Transport for London for the purposes of discharging any of its functions. It is not for the Department for Transport involve itself in local planning decisions. In the last five years, the Secretary of State for Transport has consented to applications submitted by Transport for London under section 163 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 to dispose of operational land at Arnos Grove Underground Station in the London borough of Enfield (2020 - 2021); and at Canons Park Underground Station, Rayners Lane Underground Station and Stanmore Underground Station in the London borough of Harrow (2019). The Secretary of State is currently reviewing an application submitted by Transport for London relating to Cockfosters Underground Station (application submitted in May 2021).

Motor Vehicles: Hydrogen

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has plans to offer incentives to support individuals and organisations to purchase hydrogen vehicles.

Trudy Harrison: The Government offers grants to offset the higher upfront cost of zero emission cars, vans, trucks, motorbikes and taxis and is also supporting the development of hydrogen vehicles, particularly larger vehicles like HGVs and buses.

Bus Services: Finance

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with stakeholders on the potential merits of extending the bus recovery scheme beyond the current financial year due to the shortage of PSV drivers.

Trudy Harrison: The Government is closely monitoring the shortage of PSV drivers, and is committed to working with the bus sector to encourage new entrants to the bus driving profession. Through the Coronavirus Bus Service Support Grant (CBSSG), over £1.5 billion in emergency support was provided to the sector. Additionally, £226.5 million in recovery funding will be made available through the Bus Recovery Grant (BRG). The Government remains in discussion with stakeholders to ensure funding challenges in the sector are addressed.

Transport: Schools

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials have had with local authorities to assess the impact of the shortage of PSV drivers on school (i) transport and (ii) budgets in England in the last year.

Trudy Harrison: The Department for Transport has engaged with multiple Local Authorities on this issue, primarily through engagement with the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT) and, the Urban Transport Group (UTG). Our colleagues in DfE are also speaking regularly to their contacts in local authority school transport teams about this issue.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Sarah Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that homeowners are adequately compensated in cases where the construction of HS2 public works have diminished the value of their property.

Andrew Stephenson: A comprehensive range of compensation schemes is in place across the whole route, following consultation. These in most cases go beyond what the law requires; they are generous and comprehensive and available until one year after the start of operations on the relevant section of the HS2 route. Property compensation schemes are subject to regular review, most recently in 2020, when 36 proposals for improvement were put forward, over half of which have now been implemented, and with more to come.

Railway Stations: Pigeons

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support he can make available for stations to identify and utilise alternative breeding sites for pigeons as an alternative to shooting them.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The control of pigeons at stations is a matter for the Train Operating Company or Network Rail where they manage the station. At York Railway Station, LNER has invested in a number of measures to reduce the number of pigeons, as they cause public and staff safety issues. LNER are reviewing their approach to sustainably manage the issues related to pigeons at York station whilst maintaining a safe environment for passengers and staff. LNER will continue discussions with interested parties on this issue in the coming weeks.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Postal Services

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral contribution of the Leader of the House of Commons of 2 December 2021, Official Report, column 1064, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of arrangements in place at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for handling postal items received during the covid-19 outbreak.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral contribution of the Leader of the House of Commons of 2 December 2021, Official Report, column 1064, what the target timescale for processing postal items received by Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is; and what proportion of items received by the DVLA are processed within that timescale as at 6 December 2021.

Trudy Harrison: The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is to use its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. The DVLA usually aims to process paper applications within three weeks but they are currently taking between six and ten weeks to process. There may be additional delays in processing more complex transactions, for example, if medical investigations are needed. The latest information on turnaround times for paper applications can be found here. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham. The DVLA has reconfigured its accommodation to safely maximise the number of staff on site and is working hard to process paper applications as quickly as possible. Together with the ending of industrial action at the DVLA, these measures are having a positive impact. In particular, the focus on vocational driving licence applications to support the HGV driver shortage has been successful with routine vocational applications now being processed within normal turnaround times of five working days. The remaining queues are reducing, and customers will continue to see an improving picture in terms of turnaround times.

Buses: Exhaust Emissions

Gavin Newlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many zero emission buses funded through the (a) Ultra-Low Emission Bus scheme, (b) Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme and (c) All-Electric Bus Town or City scheme are used on registered local bus services by licensed Public Service Vehicle operators in England.

Gavin Newlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what costs have been incurred by the Government through the (a) Ultra-Low Emission Bus scheme, (b) Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme and (c) All-Electric Bus Town or City scheme in providing funding for buses that are  used on registered local bus services by licensed Public Service Vehicle operators in England.

Trudy Harrison: The Ultra-Low Emission Bus (ULEB) scheme was open to any English or Welsh local authority, combined authority or bus operator. Only buses used on registered local bus services were eligible for funding. Funding from the scheme was provided over three years: 2018-19; 2019-20 and 2020-21. Currently, over 50 zero emission buses (ZEB) supported by the ULEB scheme are used on registered local bus services by licensed public service vehicle operators in England. These buses were supported by over £14 million in Government funding. In addition, over 60 buses, supported by almost £7 million from the scheme, are also operating in London. Over 30 further ZEBs, supported by the scheme in England, have been ordered, including 20 hydrogen buses, supported by over £7 million, they are expected on the road in due course. The All Electric Bus Town or City scheme was open to English local transport authorities outside London. Only buses used on registered local bus services were eligible for funding. In March 2021 £50 million funding was awarded to the West Midlands Combined Authority to introduce electric buses and charging infrastructure to convert all buses used on registered local bus services to electric buses. This funding will support the introduction of up to 300 electric buses in Coventry. The Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme was open to English local transport authorities outside London. Only buses used on registered local bus services were eligible for funding. Up to £270 million funding is available under the ZEBRA scheme in 2021-22. £70.8 million of this funding has been awarded so far to five local transport authorities: Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, Leicester City Council, Kent County Council, Milton Keynes Council and Warrington Borough Council. This will support the introduction of up to 335 electric buses and associated infrastructure. A further 17 local transport authorities are working to produce business cases under the standard process of the scheme. The Department will award funding to successful business cases under the standard process in Spring 2022.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Iron and Steel: Manufacturing Industries

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to bring forward a green steel deal.

Lee Rowley: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing: Energy

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Government's consultation on improving the energy performance of privately rented homes in England and Wales published in November 2021, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on the rental sector of the proposals to require landlords to increase the energy efficiency of their properties.

Greg Hands: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the amount the NHS paid in 2021 for the Pfizer/BioNTech covid-19 vaccine; and what estimate he has made of the projected price for that Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.

George Freeman: We are not able to disclose specific costs of individual vaccines procured to date, as details of contracts between the Government and vaccine manufacturers are commercially sensitive.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: BGI

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department or its Arm's Length Bodies has a working relationship, including on (a) contractual or (b) commercial terms, with the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) or any of its subsidiaries.

George Freeman: BEIS does not have any contractual or commercial terms with Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) or any of its subsidiaries.

BGI: Higher Education

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential implications for national security of UK Universities undertaking research either funded by or in partnership with the Chinese-state linked company Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI).

George Freeman: The UK’s research sector is independent and free to make decisions on research collaborations. However, university due diligence processes should consider reputational, ethical and security risks and collaborations must remain within the limits of the law. The Government reserves the right to intervene, where we judge that collaborations are not in the national interest or breach domestic or international law. The Government supports the sector to make informed decisions on international research collaboration through the Trusted Research campaign and supported Universities UK to develop guidelines, published in October 2020, to help universities tackle security risks related to international collaboration. Additionally, BEIS is establishing a Research Collaboration Advice Team which will work directly with institutions to help embed best practice.

Carbon Emissions: Research

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of the £5.2 billion research and development funding announced at the Autumn Budget 2021 and Spending Review will support the UK’s net-zero goal.

George Freeman: The Autumn 2021 Spending Review (SR) announced record-breaking investment in the UK’s world leading research base, increasing by £5.2 billion to £20 billion per annum by 2024/25 in line with the target of UK economy-wide R&D investment reaching 2.4% of GDP by 2027. The Net Zero Strategy also confirmed that we have mobilised over £26 billion of government capital investment for the green industrial revolution, including at least £1.5 billion for net zero research and innovation. Following the SR, BEIS is currently working through the allocations process to set detailed R&D budgets through till 2024/25. Further details of how this funding will be allocated will be announced in due course.

Small Businesses: Coronavirus

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the level of accessibility to Covid Recovery Scheme loans for small and medium-sized businesses that are requesting amounts of less than £50,000.

Paul Scully: The Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) is open to businesses requesting amounts of less than £50,000. The minimum facility size varies in the RLS, starting at £1,000 for asset and invoice finance, and £25,001 for term loans and overdrafts. As of 7 December 2021, the British Business Bank’s RLS portal showed that 29% of businesses had applied for a facility of less than £50,000. Note that the portal is continually updated and some lender data is still to be captured.

Unpaid Work

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of people who have taken part in unpaid work trials at the outset of employment in the 2021 calendar year.

Paul Scully: Existing legislation already bans unpaid work trials that are not part of a legitimate recruitment process. They are not permitted if they are simply for the financial benefit of the employer or are excessive in length. An unpaid trial lasting more than one day is highly likely to be illegal in all but very exceptional circumstances. If someone has undertaken an illegal unpaid work trial, I would strongly encourage them to complain to HMRC, who enforce the minimum wage. HMRC consider every worker complaint that they receive. It is never acceptable to underpay workers and employers who do so do not get off lightly. Where HMRC finds breaches, they order the employer to repay the workers and pay a penalty to government of up to 200%. Once HMRC has completed its investigation, it refers each case to BEIS for consideration for public naming. The Government named 191 employers on 5th August 2021 (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/employers-named-and-shamed-for-paying-less-than-minimum-wage). This includes employers in the Greater Glasgow area who had breaches involving unpaid work trials.

Travel: Coronavirus

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the introduction of covid 19 travel restrictions in November and December 2021, what plans the Government has to provide additional support to the to the travel industry.

Paul Scully: The aviation sector is crucial to the UK’s economy and businesses across the industry that are experiencing difficulties have been able to draw from the unprecedented package of support, including around £8bn for the air transport sector since the start of the pandemic. The travel and tourism industries are also crucial to the UK economy, and that is why we have provided support of over £35 billion to the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors in the form of grants, loans and tax breaks. On top of the Government’s wider economic support package, we have extended business rates relief and introduced Restart grants of up to £18,000 for many in the sector.

Aerospace Technology Institute: Finance

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in the context of the Government's COP26 commitments on the transition to net zero, whether his Department has plans to extend the funding for the Aerospace Technology Institute to 2031.

Lee Rowley: Published in October 2021, the Net Zero Strategy sets out policies and proposals for decarbonising all sectors of the UK economy, including the aerospace sector, to meet our net zero target by 2050, keep the UK on track for meeting carbon budgets, to deliver our Nationally Determined Contribution by 2030. In line with the Net Zero Strategy and the Government’s COP26 commitments on the UK’s transition to net zero, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer extended the funding to the Aerospace Technology Institute programme from 2026 to 2031 as part of the most recent Spending Review.

Nuclear Power: Carbon Emissions

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential role of nuclear energy in achieving the Government's net zero emissions targets.

Greg Hands: Nuclear energy will be essential to achieving net zero.Analysis published by BEIS with the Energy White Paper[1] in 2020 shows that, alongside significant amounts of wind and solar, a stable, low-cost electricity system to meet net zero will also require other forms of low-carbon power, including nuclear, to complement the intermittency of those technologies. As outlined in the Net Zero Strategy[2], the Government needs to continue to deploy all known low-carbon technologies at scale over the next decade to ensure optionality is maintained, whilst developing new options to mitigate delivery risk and reduce costs.The Government has confirmed that it aims to reach a Final Investment Decision on at least one large-scale nuclear project this Parliament and recently announced £210m for Rolls-Royce’s Small Modular Reactor design.[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-white-paper-powering-our-net-zero-future.[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/net-zero-strategy.

Electricity Generation

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to (a) improve resilience in the national electricity grid system so that blackout events, such as that which occurred after Storm Arwen, are not repeated, and (b) ensure that should blackout events occur after storm situations, emergency and response services have means to power their electric vehicles and equipment, and (c) diversify sources of energy so that at times of low wind and solar power, there is sufficient energy to meet demand from non-fossil fuel sources.

Greg Hands: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has commissioned a post-incident review into Storm Arwen to identify lessons and best practice for communications, resourcing and system resilience. As the independent regulator for energy, Ofgem has also announced it will undertake a review into the impact of Storm Arwen. This will focus on the role of the network companies in maintaining the resilience of the system and their emergency response. The Government is committed to maintaining high levels of energy resilience as the sector decarbonises. Great Britain benefits from a diverse electricity mix and is therefore not dependent on any one technology or market participant to ensure security of supply.

Carbon Capture and Storage: Hydrogen

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what consideration he has given to placing all hydrogen production projects under Track-1 of the Cluster Sequencing Process.

Greg Hands: The Cluster Sequencing process will bring forward the UK’s first full-chain carbon capture and storage proposals. The Track-1 decision has identified the HyNet and East Coast Cluster proposals as those with the potential to pioneer this technology in the UK, including through the deployment of CCS-enabled low carbon hydrogen capacity. Phase-2 of this process, which opened in November, focuses on individual projects. It is open to submissions from any hydrogen production project based in the UK provided they can demonstrate they have a CO2 transport solution, access to a Track-1 or reserve cluster CO2 store and meet the eligibility criteria.

Hydrogen: Carbon Emissions

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he expects the Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard to be published.

Greg Hands: The Government consultation on a Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard closed on 25 October. The Government intends to publish its response, confirming the design of the standard, in early 2022.

Natural Gas: Hydrogen

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that a decision on blending 20 per cent hydrogen into the gas grid is delivered by 2023 at the latest.

Greg Hands: The Government is working with the Health and Safety Executive, Ofgem and industry to understand safety, operability and value for money for blending hydrogen into the grid, including following emerging evidence from industry trials such as HyDeploy. The Government will make a decision once there is sufficient evidence on both technical safety and financial viability. The Government will be prioritising the economic assessment of hydrogen blending and will make a decision at the end of 2023 at the earliest.

Natural Gas: Hydrogen

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of blending 20 per cent hydrogen into the national grid by 2023.

Greg Hands: The Government is working with the Health and Safety Executive, Ofgem and industry to understand safety, operability and value for money for blending hydrogen into the grid, including following emerging evidence from industry trials such as HyDeploy. The Government will make a decision once there is sufficient evidence on both technical safety and financial viability. The Government will be prioritising the economic assessment of hydrogen blending and will make a decision at the end of 2023 at the earliest.

Tidal Power

Ian Blackford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Royal Society's report, entitled A review of the UK and British Channel Islands practical tidal stream energy resource, published in November 2021,  what assessment he has made of the feasibility of reaching 11.5 gigawatts of electricity output for tidal marine energy.

Greg Hands: The Government has made targeted support available for tidal stream energy projects in Great Britain through allocation round 4 of the Contracts for Difference scheme. Promising technologies in the early commercial stage of development must prove their viability and scalability by driving down prices before the Government takes a view on whether the levels of deployed capacity are feasible.

Energy Charter: Fossil Fuels

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the Energy Charter Treaty on meeting (a) the UKs commitment to phase out fossil fuels and (b) the commitments made by the EU and the wider international community.

Greg Hands: The Energy Charter Treaty already calls on Member States to minimise the environmental impacts of energy operations. Member States of the Energy Charter Treaty are modernising the Treaty and ensuring it is aligned with our climate objectives. The UK supports the process to modernise the Treaty in a way that advances the global energy transition, such as the right for States to regulate to reach emissions reduction targets and ensuring a stronger focus on climate security.

Energy Supply: Older People

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will take steps to help ensure that energy companies are offering flexible and affordable tariffs for elderly customers.

Greg Hands: The setting of energy tariffs is a commercial matter for individual supply companies. The Government continues to support low income and fuel poor households with their energy bills through the Warm Home Discount which provides eligible households with a £140 discount. Further, Winter Fuel Payments which are explicitly for the elderly, and Cold Weather Payments, ensure that the most vulnerable are better able to heat their homes over the colder months.

Aquind: Electricity Interconnectors

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timeframe is for a decision on the proposed AQUIND interconnector project.

Greg Hands: On 21 October 2021, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State extended the statutory deadline for taking the decision on the AQUIND interconnector application for development consent to 21 January 2022. A statement announcing the new deadline was made to the House of Commons and House of Lords on 21 October 2021 in accordance with section 107(7) of the Planning Act 2008.

Energy Company Obligation: Buildings

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on customer engagement of requirements for multiple installations at a single property under the Energy Company Obligation 4 scheme for 2022-26.

Greg Hands: The Government knows that customers are engaged under the Energy Company Obligation 4 scheme (ECO4) since households benefitting under the scheme already have multiple energy efficiency measures installed in their homes. The latest average number of measures delivered is 2.26 per home. The Government expects an average of 2.5 energy efficiency measures installed per home in houses rated band E to G under ECO4. The Government’s Impact Assessment for ECO4 has considered likely consumer take up by assessing other multi measure schemes, including the Social Housing Demonstrator Fund project, and will be available to view once published in early 2022.

Steel Council

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on what date the Steel Council (a) last met and (b) will next meet.

Lee Rowley: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State reformed and co-chaired the UK Steel Council in 2021. There have so far been four meetings: March, May, July and most recently on 28 September. The next meeting is being scheduled for early 2022.

Cabinet Office

Public Sector: Procurement

Angela Rayner: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Written Statement of 6 December 2021 on Transforming Public Procurement, HCWS444, whether the Procurement Review Unit will be based in his Department; which Minister will be responsible for that unit; and by what date he plans for that unit to be operational.

Michael Ellis: The Procurement Review Unit will be based in the Cabinet Office and will report to the Minister for the Cabinet Office. The Unit will form part of the new procurement regime which is subject to the usual Parliamentary processes. The new regime will not be active until 2023 at the earliest.

UK Domestic Advisory Group and UK-EU Civil Society Forum

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, when and where the first meeting of the Domestic Advisory Group and the Civil Society Forum will take place.

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many applications for membership of the Domestic Advisory Group and Civil Society Forum were received by organisations in each devolved nations.

Michael Ellis: The first meeting of the Domestic Advisory Group will be early in the New Year in London. The timing and location for the Civil Society Forum will be confirmed once the guidelines which underpin the forum are agreed through the UK-EU TCA Partnership Council. Of the 83 applications received, 16 were from organisations representing Scotland (7), Wales (2), Northern Ireland (3) as well as three from organisations representing England and Wales and one representing England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The final membership of the DAG has not yet been determined.

Cabinet Office: Publications

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will ensure the word Christmas continues to be used in his Department's relevant publications; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Ellis: I am pleased to confirm that the Government will continue to use the word ‘Christmas’ in publications.

Hydrogen: Ministerial Responsibility

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of creating a dedicated Minister for Hydrogen.

Michael Ellis: My Rt Hon Friend, the Member for Chelsea and Fulham, Greg Hands MP, has Ministerial responsibility for the hydrogen sector.The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy published its comprehensive UK hydrogen strategy in August 2021, building upon the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.

Cabinet Office: Litigation Group

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what services the Government Legal Department’s Litigation Group has provided to his Department since 1 January 2021.

Michael Ellis: Since 1 January 2021, the Litigation Group has continued to provide litigation services to the majority of government departments, including Cabinet Office, and executive agencies, as well as many non-departmental public bodies.The Group’s work encompasses litigation in public and private law and supports public inquiries and Inquests. This has involved, amongst other things, attending in a wide range of courts including Coroners’ Courts, the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal, the Royal Courts of Justice and the Supreme Court. Our Employment and Commercial Groups similarly provide litigation services to the majority of government departments and have done so in the period in question.

Department of Health and Social Care

Mental Health Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that appropriate community mental health facilities are available to support people with low to moderate health needs, in the community.

Gillian Keegan: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Down Syndrome Bill

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in the Welsh Government on the Down Syndrome Bill.

Gillian Keegan: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sarah Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the vaccination status of covid-19 vaccine trial participants is correctly displayed on their NHS Covid Pass.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many community pharmacies were providing covid-19 vaccinations as of 3 December 2021.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the (a) shortest, (b) longest and (c) average period has been from receipt of an application from a community pharmacy to provide covid-19 vaccinations, to  that pharmacy being able to actively provide that service since 1 August 2021.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many pharmacies have applied to be a covid-19 vaccination centre; and how many of those (a) were accepted, (b) were rejected and (c) are still being considered.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the proportion of a health budget that commissioners should spend on (a) adult mental health services and (b) children and adolescent mental health services.

Gillian Keegan: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Probiotics

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the conclusions the Therapeutic Taskforce’s expert group on prophylaxis made after assessing the evidence of the benefits and risks of probiotic supplementation for covid-19 patients.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Lung Cancer: Mortality Rates

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the effect on the UK's productivity of the level of premature mortality from lung cancer with the rate of such mortality in other countries.

Maria Caulfield: No assessment has been made of the impact of premature lung mortality on the United Kingdom’s productivity.

General Practitioners: Liverpool West Derby

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to (a) GP appointments and (b) face to face GP appointments in Liverpool, West Derby constituency.

Maria Caulfield: No assessment has been made as general practitioner appointment data is not collected by constituency.

Obesity: Disadvantaged

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle the (a) regional and (b) socioeconomic inequalities that contribute to obesity.

Maggie Throup: We have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on improving the health and wellbeing of the nation including tackling disparities that contribute to obesity. On 1 October 2021, we launched the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID). The OHID will work in partnership with national and local government, the National Health Service, the voluntary sector, industry and the wider public health system to systematically tackle the top preventable health challenges, such as obesity and smoking, improving the public’s overall health and tackling health disparities.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure immunosuppressed patients are aware that they may be able to suspend their immunosuppressant medication in order to obtain a third primary covid-19 vaccine dose.

Maggie Throup: The Government regularly provides resources and additional information to charities and patient organisations representing those living with severely compromised immune systems. NHS England and NHS Improvement are developing tailored communications for specialists caring for each group of eligible patients within the immunosuppressed cohort. This will include template referral letters for clinicians to signpost people to receive their vaccination. Any decision to defer immunosuppressive therapy or to delay the possible benefit from vaccination until after therapy should be taken by the specialist. These decisions should not be taken without due consideration to the risks from COVID-19 and from their underlying condition.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is taking to assess the safety of covid-19 vaccines for under-12s.

Maggie Throup: Any application for the use of a COVID-19 vaccine in children under the age of 12 years old will be carefully assessed and will only be approved if the vaccine meets the required standards for quality, safety and efficacy.Following the emergency use authorisation of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in children aged between five and 11 years old by the Food and Drug Administration in October 2021, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) is monitoring safety data from the United States of America, international post-authorisation experience and safety data from the use of the vaccine in at-risk children in the United Kingdom. The MHRA has a robust safety surveillance strategy in place for COVID-19 vaccines, including specific paediatric safety monitoring activities.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of enforcement of mask wearing in supermarkets.

Maggie Throup: No specific assessment has been made. However, evidence suggests that face coverings are effective in reducing transmission of COVID-19 indoors when people are likely to be in close proximity, such as on public transport or in shops.

Coronavirus: Quarantine

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will add teachers to the list of essential workers who are exempt from self-isolation on contact with someone testing positive for the covid-19 omicron variant.

Maggie Throup: All individuals notified by NHS Test and Trace or a public health official that they are a close contact of someone confirmed or suspected to have the COVID-19 Omicron variant are legally required to self-isolate, regardless of their age, vaccination status, negative test result or worker status. This change came into force on 30 November 2021.There are currently no exemptions to this requirement, including for essential workers.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to provide post-vaccination quantitative antibody testing for immunocompromised patients.

Maggie Throup: National Health Service clinicians can arrange antibody testing based on their assessment of clinical need. There are currently no plans to implement targeted quantitative antibody testing for immunocompromised patients post-vaccination. Those with a cancer diagnosis may be able to access free antibody tests through the National Cancer COVID Survey which aims to assess levels of protection conferred by antibodies following vaccination/infection in cancer patients.  The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation continues to review emerging scientific evidence on the use of vaccines in those who are immunocompromised and will update its advice as necessary.

Coronavirus: Screening

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to ensure lateral flow covid-19 tests remain freely available to members of the public.

Maggie Throup: We continue to provide free lateral flow device (LFD) tests. We have announced that, at a later stage, free universal provision of LFD tests will end. The UK Health Security Agency is analysing data and evidence on asymptomatic testing to inform any decision on when this provision will end.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits prioritising teachers aged under 40 who work at specialist SEND schools for booster covid-19 vaccines.

Maggie Throup: Frontline social care workers who provide care closely and regularly to those adults and children who are clinically vulnerable to COVID-19, including those who work face to face with clinically vulnerable children are eligible for priority booster vaccinations. This includes teachers who work at special educational needs and disabilities schools.

Travel: Coronavirus

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that affordable covid-19 testing is available for people wishing to travel overseas.

Maggie Throup: We are working with private testing providers to reduce the cost of testing. We have reduced the cost of NHS Test and Trace tests for international arrivals from £88 to £68 for fully vaccinated arrivals and from £170 to £136 for two tests for arrivals who are not fully vaccinated. Since international travel testing requirements were introduced the average cost of a day two polymerase chain reaction test has fallen to £45.For United Kingdom residents or individuals with residency rights who would suffer severe financial hardship by paying the full cost of their managed quarantine or testing fees before they travel, hardship arrangements may be available.

Coronavirus: Screening

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the difficulties faced by people with disabilities, such as a visual impairment, in using use covid-19 lateral flow testing kits at home.

Maggie Throup: The Department ensures that lateral flow tests are available for free through a choice of testing routes. People can self-test under guidance from a trained testing operative if needed at asymptomatic test sites. We provide a range of accessible format testing instructions and continue to procure rapid lateral flow tests kits which are progressively easier to use and reflect improvements made following feedback received from users of our testing services. In autumn 2021, a short pilot was conducted with a diverse set of visually impaired volunteers to assess to what extent remote video assistance via the 119 service might support them and others to self-test independently and accurately using a lateral flow test kit. The pilot findings and recommendations are currently being finalised for stakeholder review.

Care Homes and Hospitals: Private Sector

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) private hospitals and (b) residential homes do not exploit vulnerable people for financial profit.

Edward Argar: All providers are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and follow fundamental standards of safety and quality. Doctors in all settings have a duty to follow the General Medical Council’s guidance on Good Medical Practice, which includes making the care of the patient the first concern and maintaining trust by acting with integrity. They must be able to justify their professional decisions and actions at appraisal and revalidation processes. We work with key healthcare organisations to embed best practice and ensure accountability across the health system, including the independent sector.Care home providers have a duty to comply with consumer protection law. We are also considering steps to require CQC-registered social care providers to be more transparent about their fees, to help people make informed decisions.

Health Services: Waiting Lists

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will offer patients on waiting lists help to travel to other parts of the UK for treatment.

Edward Argar: The National Health Service is reviewing a range of approaches to manage waiting lists and increase elective activity, including providing treatment in other parts of the country. The NHS Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service already provides around 12 million journeys each year in England for people whose medical needs require such support. The NHS also has an existing Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme, which can support travel costs for individuals on a low income who are referred for NHS treatment. The NHS is currently developing proposals to simplify and streamline access to the scheme, alongside wider measures to improve patient transport.

Incontinence: Health Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what requirements are in place for Integrated Care Systems to assess local continence needs; and if he will put a strategy in place to meet such needs from April 2022.

Edward Argar: The Health and Care Bill will establish statutory integrated care boards (ICBs) which will take on the commissioning functions of clinical commissioning groups and some of NHS England’s commissioning functions. There are no specific requirements on ICBs to assess local continence needs. However, ICBs must provide a comprehensive health service for their local populations. NHS England’s ‘Excellence in Continence Care’ provides guidance for commissioners, which will include ICBs once established.

Dental Services

Dr Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of adults in England have accessed NHS dentistry in each year since 2001.

Maria Caulfield: This information is not available in the format requested. Data is available for the proportion of the adult population seen by a National Health Service dentist in the previous 24 months from 2007 to 2021, to align with the recommended longest interval between dental checks in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s oral and dental health guidance.

Miscarriage: Hormone Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make new hormone treatment using progesterone available through the NHS to help prevent miscarriages.

Maria Caulfield: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellent (NICE) recently updated its guidance on diagnosing and managing ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage and made new recommendations on the use of progesterone in threatened miscarriage. These suggest that clinicians increase the use of progestogens to prevent miscarriage and standardise the preparation of progesterone used to treat threatened miscarriage.The recommendations for the use of progesterone are for women with early pregnancy bleeding and a history of miscarriage. The recommendations are not applicable in other circumstances. Whilst guidelines are not mandatory, the Department expects the National Health Service to take NICE’s recommendations fully into account in the care and treatment of patients.

General Practitioners: Ilford North

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of in person GP appointments available for patients in Ilford North constituency.

Maria Caulfield: General practice appointment data is not collected by constituency.

Vaccination

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to set targets for adult vaccination for all diseases in the forthcoming vaccine strategy.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the forthcoming vaccination strategy will set a target of 75 per cent for adult pneumococcal vaccination coverage, in line with coverage targets set for influenza vaccination.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the forthcoming vaccination strategy will provide plans to enhance the UK’s vaccination infrastructure and human resource in the long-term, utilising alternative providers used during the covid-19 outbreak.

Maria Caulfield: The Vaccine Strategy is being kept under review to reflect new developments from the COVID-19 vaccine and extended flu programme. Further detail on content and publication will be available in due course.

Diagnosis

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timescale is for HNS England's evaluation report on the performance of Rapid Diagnostic Centres.

Edward Argar: Ipsos MORI, in collaboration with the Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit and York Health Economics Consortium, have been commissioned to undertake a four year evaluation of the rapid diagnostic centre programme until the end of 2023/24. Throughout the evaluation, Ipsos MORI and their partners will produce quarterly and annual reports. The first annual report will be published shortly. The final report is due in March 2024.

Medical Treatments: Public Consultation

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if the Government will hold a public consultation on the health effects of implanted materials in patients.

Maria Caulfield: The Department currently has no plans to hold a consultation on the health effects of implanted materials in patients. However, we are ensuring that the patients’ voice is routinely heard. This includes the creation of a statutory role of the Patient Safety Commissioner to promote the safety of patients in the use of medicines and medical devices and the importance of the views of patients and the public on the safety of medicines and medical devices.

NHS Blood and Transplant: Artificial Intelligence

Anthony Mangnall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NHS Blood and Transplant algorithm which decides how organs are allocated has been updated since the new drug Trikafta was introduced for cystic fibrosis sufferers.

Maria Caulfield: NHS Blood and Transplant has a selection and allocation policy for each organ, ensuring a transparent process to balance reducing mortality on waiting lists and matching donor lungs with recipients to provide the best outcome for all listed patients. The algorithm is not dependent on the primary disease and patients are only placed on the transplant list after maximal therapy.NHS Blood and Transplant’s Lung Advisory Group would regard a trial of Trikafta (Kaftrio) as an important pre-referral step and most cystic fibrosis physicians would prescribe this prior to the referral of patients for transplantation.

Dentistry: Ilford North

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the ratio of NHS dentists to patients has been in Ilford North constituency in each of the last five years.

Maria Caulfield: The Department does not hold data in the format requested, as it is not collected at constituency level.

Chickenpox: Vaccination

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the minutes of the Joint Committee on Immunisation and Vaccinations (JCVI) meeting on 22 June 2021, on what date the modelling QALY meeting to discuss varicella is scheduled to take place.

Maria Caulfield: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) relies on modelling work from a variety of sources to support its advice, including the UK Health Security Agency and academic groups.Varicella is a ‘business as usual’ item that the JCVI will consider in the short to medium term. However, as modelling capacity is finite and resources are supporting the COVID-19 pandemic response, the JCVI are unable to provide an expected timeframe. The modelling Quality-Adjusted Life Year meeting to discuss varicella will be scheduled once evidence becomes available.

General Practitioners: Recruitment

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to recruit more GPs; and if he will publish an updated target on GP recruitment by 2024.

Maria Caulfield: The Government remains committed to growing the number of doctors in general practice and is determined to deliver this as soon as possible. As such no revised target has been published. We are working with NHS England and NHS Improvement, Health Education England and the profession to increase recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new retention schemes alongside continued support for existing schemes for the general practice workforce. These include the GP Retention Scheme, the International Induction Programme, the Return to Practice Programme, the Fellowship Programme, the New to Partnership Payment and Supporting Mentors Scheme. We have also increased the number of general practitioner training places with 4,000 trainees this year, compared to 2,671 in 2014.

Cancer: Greater London

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people registered with North East London CCG who have had to wait longer than two weeks for a hospital appointment following an urgent cancer diagnosis referral in each of the last five years.

Maria Caulfield: The information is not available in the format requested.

Cardiovascular Diseases: Health Services

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the improvements for heart and circulatory disease services set out in the NHS long term plan can still be met in the context of covid-19 and the backlog of care.

Maria Caulfield: The restoration of services, including those for cardiovascular disease, is priority for the National Health Service, with local teams working throughout the pandemic to provide diagnostic and treatment services.NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with regional and local teams to develop cardiac networks and integrated stroke delivery networks in England. These networks have been developed to take an evidenced-based, clinically led, whole pathway approach from prevention, diagnosis, treatment to end of life care. The NHS is establishing 44 community diagnostic centres which could deliver over one million additional scans and tests by the end of March 2022.

Long Covid: Clinics

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time is for a first assessment at a long covid clinic.

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are currently awaiting a first assessment at a long covid clinic.

Maria Caulfield: Since September 2021, information on activity and demographics of patients who have been referred to a post-COVID-19 assessment service in England have been published as part of the official statistics publication, which can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-post-covid-assessment-service/Data on waiting times was first added to this publication in October 2021, for the period from 2 August. As this is a relatively new data collection and this is experimental data, some variation may be due to incomplete data submissions.The attached table shows the waiting times of patients who had an initial assessment at a post-COVID-19 assessment service between 27 September and 24 October 2021.TABLE (docx, 19.2KB)

Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Questions 41751 and 41752 tabled by the hon. Member for Gravesham on 3 September 2021; and for what reason his answers to those questions have been delayed.

Edward Argar: I refer the hon. Member to the answers to Questions 41751 and 41752.

Members: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to a letter from the hon. Member for West Lancashire of 16 September 2021, reference ZA57713 regarding a Rheumatology Department at an NHS Trust.

Edward Argar: We replied to the hon. Member on 8 December.

Members: Correspondence

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Liverpool Walton and colleagues of 13 October 2021 on Dame Carol Black's Independent Review of Drugs.

Edward Argar: We replied to the hon. Member on 8 December 2021.

Clinical Audit

Dr Kieran Mullan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the role of national clinical audits in improving patient care.

Edward Argar: No assessment has been made.

Health Services: Autism and Learning Disability

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure that new integrated care systems have a plan for supporting people with complex needs (a) in inpatient units and (b) in the community.

Edward Argar: Integrated care systems currently do not have to produce specific plans for supporting people with complex needs in inpatient units and in the community. However, the integrated care board (ICB) must produce a strategy to address the health needs of the population, including how they intend to support people with complex needs. Integrated care partnerships must also produce an integrated care strategy to reflect the health and care needs of their local communities, including people with complex needs. ICBs and local authorities must have regard to that strategy when making decisions.

Nurses and Paramedical Staff: Training

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to offer additional financial support for trainee nurses and paramedics to tackle staff shortages and alleviate the burden on the NHS.

Edward Argar: The Department has no such current plans. Since September 2020, the Department has made available a new, non-repayable, training grant of at least £5,000 per academic year for eligible nursing and paramedicine students through the NHS Learning Support Fund (NHS LSF). In addition, the NHS LSF provides for an additional parental support allowance of £2,000 per academic year to help eligible students with childcare costs. NHS LSF funding is a supplementary source of financial support for eligible students in addition to maintenance and tuition fee loans provided by the Student Loans Company.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Admissions

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the November 2021 Royal College of Emergency Medicine Acute Insight Series, Crowding and its Consequences.

Edward Argar: No such assessment has been made. NHS England and NHS Improvement have led detailed operational level winter planning with providers, regions and stakeholders. This sets out clear actions to support improved emergency care performance and patient flow through hospitals, supported by an additional £5.4 billion. A new Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Unit will coordinate support such as improving patient flow. This also includes £478 million for an enhanced patient discharge programme to reduce crowding in accident and emergency departments.

Members: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he intends to respond to a letter dated 24 September 2021 from the honourable member for West Lancashire reference ZA57823 regarding NHS track and trace.

Edward Argar: We replied to the hon. Member on 7 December 2021.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Surgery

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the waiting times for elective surgery for people with inflammatory bowel disease.

Edward Argar: No formal assessment has been made.

Department of Health and Social Care: Litigation Group

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what services the Government Legal Department’s Litigation Group has provided to his Department since 1 January 2021.

Edward Argar: Since 1 January 2021, Litigation Group has continued to provide litigation services to the majority of Government departments, including the Department of Health and Social Care, and executive agencies, as well as many non-departmental public bodies.The Group’s work encompasses litigation in public and private law as well as supporting public inquiries and acting in inquests. This has involved, amongst other things, attending in a wide range of courts, including Coroners’ Courts, the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal, the Royal Courts of Justice and the Supreme Court. Our Employment and Commercial Groups similarly provide litigation services to the majority of Government departments and have done so in this period.

Health Services: Waiting Lists

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much of the funding increase for the NHS announced in the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 will be spent on reducing waiting lists in the NHS in England.

Edward Argar: We have made £2 billion available this year to start to tackle the backlog. Over the next three years, we plan to spend more than £8 billion to support elective recovery and reduce waiting lists in England.

Coronavirus: Screening

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will re-introduce free covid-19 lateral flow test kits for employers.

Maggie Throup: Vulnerable settings continue to be offered regular asymptomatic testing for staff and for service users, particularly those who are at high risk of severe illness if they were infected with COVID-19. This includes health and social care settings and prisons. Workplace testing has also continued for those who work in operational roles at the United Kingdom border and in education. We have no plans to resume provision of free tests to other types of workplaces. However, employees can continue to access free tests through Pharmacy Collect, online ordering or 119.

Obesity: Health Services

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of specialist multidisciplinary weight management services, Tier 3, have a full Getting It Right First Time recommended multidisciplinary team.

Maggie Throup: The information requested is not held centrally, as specialist or Tier 3 weight management services are commissioned by integrated care systems. A planned National Obesity Audit will provide information on Tier 3 and 4 specialist weight management services.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether covid-19 vaccination guidelines require vaccinators to aspirate injection needles prior to injecting the vaccine into patients.

Maggie Throup: The UK Health Security Agency’s COVID-19 vaccination healthcare practitioner guidance states that there is no need to pull back on the plunger, or aspirate, before the plunger is depressed to release the vaccine into the muscle because there are no large blood vessels at the recommended injection sites. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-programme-guidance-for-healthcare-practitioners

Department for Education

Schools: Sports

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on extending funding for the School Games Organiser network beyond March 2022.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with stakeholders on long-term funding for physical education and sport in schools.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his timetable is for the publication of guidance to schools on the future of the primary PE and Sport Premium funding.

Will Quince: The department is considering arrangements for the primary PE and sport premium for the 2022/23 academic year and beyond. We are aware of the importance of providing schools with sufficient notice of future funding and will confirm the position as early as possible in the new year.Similarly, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) are considering arrangements for the School Games Organisers programme and will confirm the position on future funding as soon as possible.We are also working to deliver on the nearly £30 million announced in October 2021 towards improving and opening school sport facilities in England, as well as to improve the teaching of PE at primary school. We will continue to work closely with DCMS and DHSC to deliver on the aims of the School Sport and Activity Action Plan which we will be updating next year.

Special Educational Needs

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of returning to a 26 weeks from the request for assessment for local authorities to finalise Education and Health Care Plans, as was the case for the previous statementing process.

Will Quince: The education, health and care plan (EHCP) needs assessment system was introduced as part of the new special educational needs and disability (SEND) Regulations in 2014 and is different from the assessment for a statement of special educational needs that had previously been in place.The time limit of 20 weeks was set to reflect the changed process of assessment as well as responding to the need to ensure a smoother and swifter system for determining special educational provision for children and young people.The department is currently looking at the EHCP process as a whole as part of the SEND Review.

Students: Loans

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, by how many percentage points undergraduate and postgraduate loans for maintenance increased in the 2020-21 academic year compared to the 2019-20 academic year.

Michelle Donelan: Maximum grants and loans for living and other costs for undergraduate students and maximum postgraduate disabled students’ allowances were increased for the 2020/21 academic year by the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast of inflation (RPI-X) for the first quarter of the 2021 calendar year, which was 2.9%.The same increase was applied to maximum postgraduate master’s degree loans and postgraduate doctoral degree loans for students starting courses in the 2020/21 academic year.

Educational Psychology: Higher Education

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking with universities to increase the number of places on training courses for educational psychologists.

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a centralised system that pays for bursaries for trainee educational psychologists.

Will Quince: Since 2020, we have increased the number of educational psychologists whose training we fund, from 160, to over 200 per academic year. This is delivered through contracts with two consortia, led by the University of Manchester, and University College London.The department funds trainees’ bursary payments for the first year of their training course, while bursaries for the second and third years are funded by the local authorities where the trainees are deployed. We do not have plans to introduce a centralised system for this.

Special Educational Needs

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment the Government has made of the capacity of local authorities, educational settings and health and care services to provide a high level of support and choice for families, as set out in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

Will Quince: The department closely monitors a range of data and intelligence to assess the operation and delivery of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. This includes data on:special educational needs in schools via the annual collection of data from schoolsthe numbers of new assessments, plans and placementslocal authority expenditure and dedicated schools grant assessment on spend/financial sustainability including Section 251 returnsfeedback from local authorities and the Parent and Pupil Panel surveyinspection or revisit reports from the local area SEND inspections undertaken by Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC). The government recognises that the current SEND system does not deliver the outcomes we want or expect for children and young people with SEND, their families or the people and services who support them. The SEND Review is seeking to improve the outcomes for children, with high expectations and ambitions. We need to build a financially sustainable system, where there is clear accountability. The Review will publish as a green paper for full public consultation in the first three months of 2022.The department, with SEND advisers and NHS England advisers, provides support and challenge to 89 local authority/health/social care areas who, following their Ofsted and CQC inspection or revisit, were required to produce a written statement of action (71 local authorities) or accelerated progress plan (19 local authorities) to improve the local areas’ ability to meet their statutory duties as set out in the SEND Code of Practice. In addition, the department commissions specialist support from delivery partners and delivers training programmes to local authorities, health and social care staff across the country on their statutory assessment duties.We recognise that pressures on high needs budgets have contributed to some local authorities finding it difficult to manage their dedicated schools grant funding.By financial year 2021-22, annual funding allocations to local authorities for high needs will have increased by more than £2 billion, or one third, since 2019-20. As a result of the recent Spending Review, overall funding for the core schools budget, from which high needs funding is drawn, will increase by a further £4.7 billion by financial year 2024-25, compared to previous plans, representing further real terms per pupil increase each year. We will announce how that increase will be split between mainstream schools and high needs in due course.

Dyslexia: Diagnosis

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to provide additional support for dyslexic children to obtain diagnoses of their dyslexia, including through the NHS; and what steps he is taking to ensure that those diagnoses are implemented to support a child’s education.

Will Quince: We are committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia.Under the Children and Families Act 2014, every mainstream school is required to identify and address the special educational needs of the pupils they support and endeavour to make sure that every child or young person gets the support they need to succeed in their education.Our SEND code of practice is clear that meeting the needs of a child with dyslexia does not require a diagnostic label or test. Instead, we expect teachers to monitor the progress of all pupils and put support in place where needed.

First Aid: Training

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) provision of first aid training at schools and (b) levels of training given to teachers to provide first aid training to students.

Mr Robin Walker: Schools are now required to teach first aid as part of statutory health education. In this subject, pupils are taught how to deal with common injuries, call the emergency services, administer CPR and understand the purpose of defibrillators.To support teachers to deliver this topic the department published a first aid teacher training module, which was produced with expert input from St John Ambulance and Resuscitation Council UK. This module is freely available on GOV.UK.We do not expect teachers to provide first aid training to pupils unless they are qualified to do so. Many schools use organisations such as St John Ambulance, the British Heart Foundation and the British Red Cross to support delivery of the topic.Ofsted will inspect the delivery of relationships, sex and health education in schools as part of the personal development category. The department plans to monitor delivery of the subjects, including measuring teacher confidence to teach the statutory subjects.

Dyscalculia

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) assessment his Department has made and what (b) research his Department has conducted on the (i) data on and (ii) treatments for  dyscalculia in England.

Will Quince: The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice recognises that dyscalculia is a specific aspect of learning that can be evident in a child who has a specific learning difficulty.The department collects data on primary and secondary special educational need (SEN) types in the school census. This includes specific learning difficulty, the category under which those with dyscalculia would be recorded. As of January 2021, 156,797 pupils in England were recorded with specific learning difficulty as their primary type of SEN.The department has made no specific assessment of or conducted research on the data or treatment of dyscalculia in isolation from the broader category of specific learning difficulties.The government funds research into neurodiversity through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), delivered through the Department of Health and Social Care, and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy respectively. Over the last 5 years (2016/17 to 2020/21), the government has spent, or has committed to spend, £81.3 million on neurodiversity research.The usual practice of NIHR and UKRI is not to ringfence funds for expenditure on particular topics. Research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. NIHR and UKRI welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including dyscalculia. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.Through the Children and Families Act 2014 we require local authorities to work with schools and other partners to publish a ‘Local Offer’ outlining the support they expect to be available to children, parents and families affected by SEN in the local area, including those with dyscalculia.More broadly, we are supporting and enhancing mathematics teaching through our national network of 40 school-led Maths Hubs, which are helping local schools improve the quality of their mathematics teaching based on best practice.

Adoption: Foreign Nationals

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications to adopt children have been declined each year since 2010 on the grounds that the prospective adoptive parents are not British even though their child was born in the UK.

Will Quince: This information is not collected centrally. The department welcomes enquiries from prospective adopters who are UK residents, or who are domiciled in Britain. In order to adopt in England, an individual must be a legal resident of the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, and have been so for at least 12 months.

Higher Education

Sarah Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to support universities to provide an adequate level of in person teaching for students studying (a) medicine, (b) dentistry and (c) nursing.

Michelle Donelan: The government recognises the importance of not disrupting education and is prioritising keeping settings open under Plan B. We therefore expect education settings to remain open for face-to-face teaching as planned. Teaching and learning should not be moved online as a result of the work from home guidance and staff can continue to attend work as necessary to deliver this. This is outlined here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reopening-buildings-and-campuses.We know that, in response to COVID-19, HE providers delivered new and innovative approaches to teaching and learning, and some providers have continued to use some of these approaches alongside in-person provision. Where blended learning is used, it should enhance students’ academic experience and we expect all universities to continue to deliver excellent learning, in line with guidance from the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS will continue to monitor the situation to ensure this, and HE providers should be open about what students can expect. If students have concerns, they should first raise them with their HE provider. If their concerns remain unresolved, students at HE providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) to consider their complaint.

Department for Education: Litigation Group

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what services the Government Legal Department’s Litigation Group has provided to his Department since 1 January 2021.

Michelle Donelan: Since 1 January 2021, Litigation Group has continued to provide litigation services to the majority of government departments, including the Department for Education, and executive agencies, as well as many non-departmental public bodies.The Group’s work encompasses litigation in public and private law as well as supporting public inquiries and acting in inquests. This has involved, amongst other things, attending in a wide range of courts (including Coroners’ Courts), the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal, the Royal Courts of Justice and the Supreme Court.GLD’s Employment and Commercial Groups similarly provide litigation services to the majority of government departments and have done so in the period in question.

Schools: Sefton Central

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for School Standards of 6 December 2021, which schools in the Sefton Central constituency are included in the New Rebuilding Programme.

Mr Robin Walker: Earlier this year, the department announced the first 100 schools in the new School Rebuilding Programme as part of a commitment to 500 projects over the next decade. There is one school in the Sefton Central constituency: Deyes High School. We are currently in the procurement, design, and planning stage, with a planning application submission currently scheduled for spring 2022. One school in the constituency, Maghull High School, has benefited from the Priority School Building Programme.The department will publish details of how schools will be prioritised for future places in the programme following a review of the results from our recent consultation, which closed on 8 October 2021.

Schools: Sports

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the impact on (a) schools and (b) young people’s physical activity levels of the uncertainty around Government funding for (i) the School Games Organiser network beyond March 2022 and (ii) the PE and Sport Premium beyond the 2021-22 academic year.

Will Quince: The department is considering arrangements for the primary PE and sport premium for the 2022/23 academic year and beyond. We are aware of the importance of providing schools with sufficient notice of future funding and will confirm the position as early as possible in the new year.Similarly, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) are considering arrangements for the School Games Organisers programme and will confirm the position on future funding as soon as possible.We are also working to deliver on the nearly £30 million announced in October 2021 towards improving and opening school sport facilities in England, as well as to improve the teaching of PE at primary school. We will continue to work closely with DCMS and DHSC to deliver on the aims of the School Sport and Activity Action Plan which we will be updating next year.

Schools: Sports

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the impact on (a) schools and (b) young people’s physical activity levels of the (i) lack of confirmation of public funding for the School Games Organiser network beyond March 2022 and (ii) uncertainty on the future of the PE and Sport Premium beyond this academic year.

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress his Department has made, in discussions with the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, in taking a decision on funding for the School Games Organiser network beyond March 2022.

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to announce a decision on the long-term funding for PE and school sport.

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his timetable is for announcing arrangements for the primary PE and sport premium funding for the 2021-22 academic year.

Will Quince: The department is continuing to provide £320 million in the academic year 2021/22 for the primary PE and sport premium. This is enabling children and young people to access competitive sport and supporting primary schools to improve the quality of the PE, sport and physical activity which they deliver.The department is considering arrangements for the primary PE and sport premium for the 2022/23 academic year and beyond. We are aware of the importance of providing schools with sufficient notice of future funding and will confirm the position as early as possible in the new year.Similarly, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) are considering arrangements for the School Games Organisers programme and will confirm the position on future funding as soon as possible.The department is also working to deliver on the nearly £30 million announced in October towards improving and opening school sports facilities in England, as well as to improve the teaching of PE at primary school. The department will continue to work closely with DCMS and DHSC to deliver on the aims of the school sport and activity action plan which we will be updating next year.

Foster Care: Sick Pay

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure foster carers can access sick pay.

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure foster carers can access pensions.

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure foster carers can access respite.

Will Quince: The government recognises how challenging the role of a foster carer can be and the skills and dedication that it requires. It is important that foster carers receive the support they need to fulfil this role and to meet the needs of the children in their care.The fostering services: national minimum standards include standards for the support of foster carers. They are clear that every foster parent should receive at least the national minimum allowance (NMA), plus any necessary agreed expenses, which cover the full cost of caring for a child. Foster carers can also benefit from reformed tax and benefit allowances, such as tax exemption on the first £10,000 of income and tax relief for every week a child is in their care. This will ensure they receive the best support for their individual financial circumstances, in recognition of their role.All foster carers are registered as self-employed and have an agreement with their fostering service providers, which sets out how they carry out their role, the allowances that they can expect, respite and any fees that they may be eligible for.We think that allowing fostering providers to set their own payment structure (within the NMA) and how they provide respite based on the local and individual circumstances is the most practical approach. It is right that there is some variance to reflect local circumstances, different placement requirements and experience levels of foster parents.The department remains committed to taking the necessary action to ensure that foster parents receive the respect and support that they need and deserve. As part of that, the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, chaired by Josh MacAlister, is taking a fundamental look at the needs, experiences and outcomes of the children supported by children’s social care. We will consider and respond to the recommendations and final report of the care review once it is published.

Teachers: Private Life

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on the number of incidents of teachers having relations with students in each of the last three years.

Mr Robin Walker: Education is a devolved matter, and the response will outline the information for England only. English law is clear that it is an offence for a person who is in a position of trust and is over the age of 18 to engage in a sexual relationship with a person under the age of 18. Such activity is also likely to lead to barring by the Disclosure and Barring Service and, where the individual is a teacher, prohibition by Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA). The TRA, an executive agency of the Department for Education, operates the teacher misconduct arrangements on behalf of the Secretary of State as regulator of the teaching profession in England. The TRA considers allegations of the most serious cases of misconduct to decide whether a teacher should be prohibited from teaching work in England.Teachers are expected to demonstrate consistently high standards of personal and professional conduct within and outside school, which includes observing proper boundaries appropriate to a teacher’s professional position. Whilst we do not hold the data requested, we do hold data, shown in the table below, on the number of teachers prohibited from the teaching profession for sexual misconduct in England. This data includes cases involving children and/or adults, as well as students. 2018-192019-202020-21Total Prohibited for Sexual Misconduct in England786

National Tutoring Programme

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training in (a) special educational needs and disabilities and (b) speech, language and communication tutors receive as part of the National tutoring programme.

Mr Robin Walker: A free online training course focusing on best practice tutoring is available to all school staff who are nominated as tutors by their school leaders. The training is mandatory for any staff who do not hold Qualified Teacher Status.The curriculum covers core topics including how to adapt tutoring for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).When selecting tuition partners for the current academic year, the programme is inviting applications from providers with relevant experience in working with children with SEND in both mainstream and specialist settings, so that as many pupils as possible can be supported. In total, 26 of the current 41 tuition partners specialise in supporting students with SEND, with more providers being asked to apply as part of the second round of applications. We will be looking to accredit more tuition partners with special needs expertise throughout this year.Additional weighting has been applied to the funding of special schools and units in recognition of the higher per pupil costs they face for tutoring. For these schools, the department has estimated that a 15 hour package of tuition will cost £705 per pupil, which averages £47 per hour per pupil. The department will subsidise 75% of this, with special schools and units funding the remaining 25% through other budgets.

Ministry of Justice

Probation: Retirement

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate he has made of the number of probation staff who are expected to retire over the next 12 months.

Kit Malthouse: Due to changes in retirement rules in recent years we are unable to collect data on how many staff are due to retire within the next 12 months as there is no longer a statutory retirement age for Probation Officers.

Probation: Labour Turnover

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve the levels of (a) recruitment, (b) morale and (c) retention of probation staff.

Kit Malthouse: In April 2021 we published the first national Recruitment and Retention Strategy for the Probation Service which identified several key areas of focus. The Probation Service is committed to increasing recruitment to fill Probation Officer vacancies, particularly in areas with significant local employment market challenges. In 2020/21, we recruited a record 1,007 trainee probation officers. We are further increasing our recruitment to unprecedented levels, with a target 1,500 trainee Probation Officers being recruited this financial year (2021/2022). We have identified six common drivers of attrition across those regions where it is more challenging to recruit and retain probation officers. These drivers include:o Pay and benefitso Newly Qualified Officer (NQO) attritiono High caseloadso Lack of career progressiono Wellbeingo Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination Work is underway to address these six drivers of attrition, and we are developing solutions to help regions retain staff which will strengthen our ability to help manage staff wellbeing and resilience. We introduced three new pathways to help us retain experienced staff approaching retirement. This allows them to continue their current roles on more flexible terms or utilise their experience to guide new starters by undertaking new roles as Practice Tutor Assessors or Learning Coaches, which reduces the pull on existing experienced Probation Officers to help with this workload.

Probation: Labour Turnover

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of (a) recruitment, (b) morale and (c) retention of probation staff.

Kit Malthouse: In April 2021 we published the first national Recruitment and Retention Strategy for the Probation Service which identified several key areas of focus. The Probation Service is committed to increasing recruitment to fill Probation Officer vacancies, particularly in areas with significant local employment market challenges. In 2020/21, we recruited a record 1,007 trainee probation officers. We are further increasing our recruitment to unprecedented levels, with a target 1,500 trainee Probation Officers being recruited this financial year (2021/2022). As of 30 September 2021, the overall leaving rates for the Probation Service is 7.7%, which is an increase of 1.1%points from 6.6% at 30 June 2021. This figure is lower than the overall HMPPS leaving rate as of 30 September 2021, which is 10.1%.The Probation Services Officer (PSO) leaver rate for 12 months to March 2021 (7.0%) was the lowest it had been in the past 5 years. The percentage as of 30 September 2021 stands at 8.4% which is an increase of 1.1% points as at 30 June 2021.The Probation Officer (PO) leaving rates are 6.9% as of 30 September 2021 which is an increase of 1.1% points from 5.8% at the 30 June 2021.The Senior Probation Officer (SPO) leaver rate for 12 months to March 2021 (3.3%) was the lowest it has been in the past 5 years; however, the decline needs to be treated with caution as this is likely to be an artificial decline due to the pandemic. It has since risen to 4.3% as at 30 September, which is an increase of 0.9% points from 3.4% at 30 June 2021. As outlined in the Recruitment and Retention Strategy, our focus is addressing recruitment and retention challenges within the Probation Service, particularly for those Probation Delivery Units (PDUs) with the highest average Probation Officer vacancy rates over a 12-month period.We have identified six common drivers of attrition across those regions where it is more challenging to recruit and retain probation officers. These drivers include:Pay and benefitsNewly Qualified Officer (NQO) attritionHigh caseloadsLack of career progressionWellbeingBullying, Harassment and Discrimination Work is underway to address these six drivers of attrition and we are developing solutions to help regions retain staff which will strengthen our ability to help manage staff wellbeing and resilience. We have introduced three new pathways to help retain experienced staff approaching retirement. This allows them to continue their current roles on more flexible terms or utilise their experience to help guide new starters by taking on new roles as Practice Tutor Assessors or Learning Coaches and reduce the pull on existing experienced Probation Officers to help with this workload.

CAFCASS: Working Hours

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate he has made of the average number of hours per week of (a) paid and (b) unpaid overtime worked by Cafcass staff.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether Cafcass staff are paid for overtime worked.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of (a) recruitment, (b) morale and (c) retention of Cafcass staff.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve the levels of (a) recruitment, (b) morale and (c) retention of Cafcass staff.

James Cartlidge: Cafcass pays overtime claims via a monthly payroll so calculations on a weekly basis are not available. However, based on the last 12 months, an average of 476 hours per week overtime was claimed across the whole workforce (more than 2,000 people). On average, 353 hours ‘Time Off In Lieu’ (TOIL) per week were recorded across the whole workforce. Cafcass staff are paid overtime in line with its organisational policy. For staff in operational roles, the primary means of managing additional hours worked is through TOIL but may, by exception, be paid at plain time. Staff in Business Services and in some other roles receive overtime payments at premium rates depending on numbers of hours worked and whether working at weekends or on bank holidays. Ministry of Justice (MoJ) officials attend fortnightly meetings with Cafcass senior management at which recruitment, retention and staff morale issues are discussed in depth. We understand that for the period November 2021 – January 2022, new starters (including those with confirmed start dates) will exceed the number of expected leavers. Cafcass has been highly effective in recruiting and in the last 12 months has been able to grow the workforce by almost 7% (140 Full Time Equivalent). The MoJ recognises the additional pressures that the family justice system has faced since the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent impact on Cafcass staff. Cafcass senior management routinely monitors the wellbeing of its workforce and has recently completed an all-staff survey to assist in measuring levels of morale and engagement. The findings of the survey are currently being analysed and will be reported and shared with staff shortly. In addition, the Cafcass leadership team host regular live events open to all staff to gather direct feedback and answer questions on current issues affecting all its people. The most significant factor impacting the Cafcass workforce currently is the volume of casework. Earlier this year, £6m in additional funding was agreed to enable Cafcass to increase staff capacity to meet the increased open caseload. The MoJ has also given approval to Cafcass spending up to £4.7m above its budget during the current financial year in order to recruit additional staff.

Bullingdon Prison: Safety

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Bullingdon, published on 1 December 2021, what lessons have been learned from the events during the week beginning 12 April that the Board describes as unsafe, including in relation to the impact of (a) extended covid restrictions on prison regimes, (b) staff inexperience and (c) staffing shortages.

Victoria Atkins: The events described by the Independent Monitoring Board during the week beginning 12 April were especially challenging, due to a combination of factors at that time as a number of particularly complex prisoners needed support through Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) processes. Covid-19 impacted on regimes, and we recognise that this was both frustrating and distressing for prisoners. The Healthcare team also had staff shortfalls due to an agency staff issue which has now been resolved.In April 2021 the prison had only just come out of a COVID outbreak, where the regime was significantly curtailed. It has improved since then, and HMP Bullingdon are now preparing plans to progress to Stage 1 of the National Framework which will increase time unlocked and purposeful activity for prisoners. The healthcare team have recruited additional staff to fill their vacancies, particularly in the mental health service. HMP Bullingdon will continue monitor staffing levels to ensure this doesn’t impact on the regime they can safely deliver.

Prison Sentences: Costs

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the cost to the public purse of prison sentences for Insulate Britain activists.

James Cartlidge: Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), does not collate, calculate or analyse separately the costs down to individual prisoner level. The costs recorded on the HMPPS central accounting system do not allow identification of costs attributable to holding specific offenders. An average cost per prisoner, costs per prison place and overall prison unit costs for each private and public sector prison in England and Wales are routinely published by HMPPS. This information is produced on an annual basis and is published after the end of each financial year. Information on prison expenditure can be accessed in the Prison and Probation Performance Statistics pages for each financial year on the www.gov.uk website. The most recent published figures for financial year 2019-20 can be accessed on the www.gov.uk website from the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/prison-performance-statistics-2019-to-2020 Prison unit costs can be found within the document ‘Costs per prison place and costs per prisoner 2019 to 2020 summary’ in Table 2a and in the ‘Cost per prisoner place and prisoner by individual prison 2019 to 2020’ in the ‘Cost by Establishment’ tab.

Bullingdon Prison: Coronavirus

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Bullingdon, published on 1 December 2021, what assessment he has made of the reasons why levels of violence at HMP Bullingdon reduced less as a result of covid restrictions than was the case at other prisons.

Victoria Atkins: The safety of staff and prisoners remains our priority. Staff at HMP Bullingdon are working hard to reduce the number and severity of violent incidents and data is analysed on a weekly basis to understand local trends and themes. We know, for example, that debt and issues outside of the prison are key drivers of violence at HMP Bullingdon. A link has also been identified between on-wing violence and wing-based workers and, as a result, the prison has changed work allocation procedures to better manage that risk. Staff are also working more closely with the mental health team to better support and manage identifying incidents.

Bullingdon Prison: Construction

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Bullingdon, published on 1 December 2021, whether the new building planned at HMP Bullingdon will be used to reduce chronic overcrowding at the prison, or to accommodate additional prisoners; and whether it will be included in the Government’s target for additional prison places.

Victoria Atkins: The delivery of a new building to accommodate more prisoners at HMP Bullingdon is to meet projected future demand. Crowding in prisons is a longstanding issue that will not be easily addressed. We are investing £3.8 billion over the next three years to deliver 20,000 additional modern prison places (inclusive of the places at Bullingdon), including 2,000 temporary prison places across England and Wales by the mid-2020s. These additional prison places will have a positive impact on lowering the proportion of crowding within the prison estate by providing accommodation that is safe, decent and uncrowded. However, the extent to which the proportion of prisoners held in crowded accommodation will ultimately reduce will always be dependent on levels of demand in the system.

Bullingdon Prison: Prisoners' Release

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Bullingdon, published on 1 December 2021, what assessment he has made of the impact of prison leaver housing support measures taken during the outbreak of covid-19 on the proportions of prison leavers entering (a) settled accommodation and (b) transient accommodation; and what assessment he has made of the reasons for the fall in the proportion of prison leavers from HMP Bullingdon entering settled accommodation from 56 per cent in July 2019 to June 2020 and 50 per cent in July 2020 to June 2021.

Victoria Atkins: As part of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Justice provided up to 56 nights’ accommodation per individual to prison leavers at risk of homelessness. Data shows that 12% of offenders released from custody in the year to March 2021 were recorded as homeless or rough sleeping, which presents a decrease compared to the 16% recorded homeless or rough sleeping in the preceding year (2019/20) As part of the Accelerator Prisons Project, HMP Bullingdon have been trialling the role of a Housing Specialist to strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders and reduce the number of prison leavers released with no fixed abode. The Housing Specialist has been in post from August 2021.

Department for International Trade

Hydrogen: Exports

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to facilitate the development of a UK hydrogen export market.

Mike Freer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 December to Question UIN: 87668 & 87669.

Hydrogen: Exports

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to facilitate the development of a UK hydrogen export market.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans she has to prioritise hydrogen technology in her Department's export strategy.

Mike Freer: The Department for International Trade (DIT) has a dedicated hydrogen team who, as part of their ongoing work, keep regular assessments of international hydrogen markets under review. DIT has energy teams in all key hydrogen markets, with the direct purpose of increasing business for UK energy companies, including companies in the hydrogen sector. DIT is in regular discussion with governments overseas to understand where there are opportunities for greater co-operation, and where there are opportunities for closer working, we will look to capitalise on these.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Russia: Ukraine

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the build-up of Russian forces along the border of Ukraine.

Wendy Morton: We are deeply concerned by Russia's pattern of military build-ups in and around Ukraine and are closely monitoring the situation. The Prime Minister spoke with President Putin on 25 October and President Zelenskyy on 1 November where he underscored UK support for Ukrainian sovereignty. The Foreign Secretary spoke to her Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov on 2 December and re-stated the UK's support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, urging the Russian government to de-escalate the situation. The Foreign Secretary also spoke to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba on 26 November and 1 December to reassure Ukraine of our support. On the 8 December in London, the Foreign Secretary met Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba at the inaugural UK-Ukraine Strategic Dialogue and agreed to continue UK support to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, deepen the trade relationship and invest in our shared future.We have been clear with Russia that incursion into Ukraine would be a strategic mistake. The costs of an incursion would be catastrophically high and result in massive strategic consequences. We need to deter Russia from aggressive actions against Ukraine and we are looking at a package of sanctions to raise the cost of any further aggressive actions. We will back Ukraine in the face of destabilising or threatening behaviour. We have demonstrated strong support to Ukraine. The UK, alongside allies and partners, stand with Ukraine in opposing Russian threats to Ukraine's security and territorial integrity, and already support Ukrainian military development as well as regularly exercising with their armed forces.

Gaza: Demonstrations

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2020 to Question 57198 on Gaza: Demonstrations, what recent assessment her Department has made of the progress made by Israel in (a) investigating and (b) holding wrongdoers accountable for potentially unlawful killings by its forces in the context of the 2018-19 Gaza protests.

James Cleverly: The UK has repeatedly made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about the manner in which the Israel Defence Forces police non-violent protests and the border areas, including use of live ammunition. We will continue to do so. The UK supports an investigation which establishes the facts about the violence that occurred during the Great March of Return in Gaza. Given the importance of accountability, we urge that any investigation be independent and transparent, that its findings be made public, and, if wrongdoing is found, that those responsible be held to account. The UK continues to monitor progress of ongoing investigations by the Israeli authorities.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Saudi Arabian counterpart on the conflict in Yemen.

James Cleverly: UK Ministers and officials regularly engage with their international and regional counterparts on Yemen, including through monthly briefings to the UN Security Council, to encourage efforts towards a political solution, deliver further economic support and bring an end to the humanitarian suffering. The Foreign Secretary also visited Riyadh on 20 October where she discussed the conflict in Yemen with Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Musaid Al-Aiban, National Security Advisor.

Israel: UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) she and (b) officials in her Department have made representations to their Israeli counterparts on encouraging that country to implement the 2019 recommendations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination that it ensure equal treatment for all persons on the territories under its effective control and subject to its jurisdiction.

James Cleverly: Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories is a human rights priority for the FCDO. Human Rights is a crucial element underpinning the UK's foreign policy. This is why we regularly raise concerns with the Government of Israel, where they exist. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation.

Israel: Palestinians

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the number of (a) instances of violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers between 1 September and 30 November 2021, (b) investigations opened into those instances of violence by Israeli authorities and (c) prosecutions for those acts.

James Cleverly: The UK regularly raises the issue of settler violence with the Government of Israel, most recently with Israel's Ministry of Defence on 19 October. We welcome Israeli authorities' discussion of how to address this issue, and urge Israel to bring those responsible to justice and end the culture of impunity. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population.

Brunei: LGBT People

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will hold discussions with the Government of Brunei on the penalties in place in that country against LGBT people.

Amanda Milling: The UK is committed to the principle of non-discrimination on any grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people. We continue to raise human rights and respect of individual freedoms as part of our bilateral discussions with Brunei. I discussed LGBT rights in my meeting with Foreign Minister II Erywan on 9 December.

Yemen: UN Security Council

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, as the UN Security Council pen holder on Yemen, what representations the Government has made at the UN in response to (a) the rejection of the resolution to renew the mandate of the Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen and (b) calls for accountability for all violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in that country.

James Cleverly: The UK regrets that the mandate of the Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen was not renewed. The Group had a crucial role to play in providing ongoing reporting on the actions of parties. The UK voted in favour of renewal and spoke in support of the resolution during the voting. As we made clear during the Human Rights Council session of 7 October, we are concerned by reports of serious and wide-ranging human rights violations and abuses by parties to the conflict. The UK will continue to urge the parties involved to investigate these allegations and take action to promote and protect human rights. We are working with partners on next steps in promoting human rights accountability in Yemen.

Afghanistan: Non-governmental Organisations

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether payment of taxes or payments for permits by UK Non-Government Organisations to the Afghan Government would be a breach of international sanctions or counter-terrorism provisions in place.

James Cleverly: We are supporting life-saving humanitarian assistance through the UN and NGOs, who are working hard to ensure assistance reaches those who need it most. On 1 November, the UK's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation issued new guidance (https://ofsi.blog.gov.uk/2021/11/01/ofsi-updates-charity-sector-guidance/ ) to the charity sector on operating in Afghanistan. The UK government is working closely with the UN and NGOs to ensure that UK aid benefits Afghans in need while meeting our international obligations.

Yemen: International Assistance

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much international aid has been (a) allocated and (b) disbursed to support Yemen during the 2021-22 financial year; and what proportion of the overall aid budget that spending represents.

James Cleverly: The UK has allocated £87 million in aid for Yemen for the financial year 2021-22. As of November 2021, the UK has disbursed 89% (£77.6 million) of this amount. The UK's bilateral aid spending in Yemen represents 0.87% of the total HMG ODA budget of £10 billion for 2021-22.

Turkey: Human Rights

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of recent reports of human rights abuses against (a) peaceful protestors and (b) ethnic and faith minorities in Turkey.

Wendy Morton: We strongly support the right to peaceful protest, as well as freedom of association. We also support all minority groups in Turkey and encourage the Turkish authorities to safeguard their welfare and respect their human rights, in line with provisions in the Turkish constitution that protect the rights of religious minorities. We participated in the 2020 UN Universal Periodic Review of Turkey, and pressed particularly for removing obstacles to freedom of expression, including freedom of religion or belief. We will continue to engage with Turkey on these important issues and monitor the treatment of minorities.

Afghanistan: Development Aid

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department's planned humanitarian aid or development programmes supported by her Department in Afghanistan make provision for the payments of taxes and permits to the Afghan Government.

James Cleverly: We are supporting life-saving humanitarian assistance through the UN and NGOs, who are working hard to ensure assistance reaches those who need it most. On 1 November, the UK's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation issued new guidance (https://ofsi.blog.gov.uk/2021/11/01/ofsi-updates-charity-sector-guidance/ ) to the charity sector on operating in Afghanistan. The UK government is working closely with the UN and NGOs to ensure that UK aid benefits Afghans in need while implementing our international obligations.

Yemen: International Assistance

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has carried out an assessment of the impact of the reduction in international aid to Yemen.

James Cleverly: We work closely with partners to understand the impact of UK aid spending, including in Yemen. Our focus remains on protecting and prioritising the most vulnerable and ensuring our aid is delivered in the most effective and efficient way. Our aid to Yemen this financial year is feeding 240,000 of the most vulnerable Yemenis every month, supporting 400 healthcare clinics and provided clean water for 1.6 million people. We also provided one-off cash support to 1.5 million of Yemen's poorest households to help them buy food and basic supplies.

Bahrain: Political Prisoners

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make representations to her Bahraini counterpart for the immediate and unconditional release from prison of Dr Abduljalil AlSingace and Hassan Mushaima.

James Cleverly: We continue to monitor and raise the cases of Dr Abduljalil al-Singace, Hassan Mushaima and others as necessary, with the Bahraini Government as well as with the oversight bodies.

Afghanistan: Humanitarian Aid

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she plans take to provide humanitarian relief to the people of Afghanistan.

James Cleverly: We are doubling our humanitarian and development assistance for Afghanistan this year, taking this up to £286 million. This will provide emergency humanitarian aid and help respond to the humanitarian need over the winter months. Between April and November 2021, we disbursed over £70 million for life-saving humanitarian support for Afghanistan, including for emergency food, health, nutrition, shelter, water and sanitation, and mine action. We are developing firm plans for the allocation of the remainder of the £286 million and will make further announcements in due course.

Abdulhadi al-Khawaja

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the hunger strike by former political opposition leader, Abdulhadi AlKhawaja, in Bahrain, and reports that Mr AlKhawaja has been denied family visitation rights and phone calls, if she will make representations to her Bahraini counterpart for Mr AlKhawaja’s phone calls and family visitation to be reinstated.

James Cleverly: The UK has a continuing dialogue with the Government of Bahrain in which we raise individual cases, when and where we have concerns.

Bahrain: Political Prisoners

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make representations to her Bahraini counterpart for the regular and timely provision of prescribed eyedrops to political prisoner, Ali AlBanai.

James Cleverly: Responsibility for the provision of medical care to Ali Al Banai lies with the Government of Bahrain, who have made clear that access to medical care for those in detention is guaranteed. We welcome these assurances from the Government of Bahrain. We encourage those with concerns about his detention to raise them with the oversight bodies.

Afghanistan: Humanitarian Aid

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with international partners to help ensure that humanitarian organisations can access the Afghan population in need of support.

James Cleverly: We are providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan through the UN, Non-Governmental Organisations and the Red Cross Movement on the ground, who are continuing to ensure vital aid reaches those who need it most. We have made the humanitarian situation and access a major subject of our engagement with the Taliban. They have assured us and the UN that aid workers are able to operate freely, and the UN is reporting that this is broadly happening. We continue to monitor this closely.

Abduljalil al-Singace

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in the context of reports that political prisoner Dr Abduljalil AlSingace has had his phone calls punitively suspended by authorities in Bahrain and with reference to his ongoing hunger strike that began on 8 July 2021, what representations the Government plans to make to its Bahraini counterparts on (a) the reinstatement of Dr AlSingace’s phone calls, (b) his confiscated research to be given to his family and (c) his immediate and unconditional release.

James Cleverly: We will continue to monitor and raise the case of Dr Abduljalil al-Singace with the Bahraini Government. We encourage those with concerns about his detention to raise them with the oversight bodies.

Abduljalil al-Singace

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 November 2021 to Question HL3907 and Answer of 19 November 2021 to Question 72473, for what reason the Government will not disclose the most recent date or dates upon which it raised the case of Dr Abduljalil AlSingace with its counterparts in Bahrain.

James Cleverly: We continue to monitor and regularly raise, as appropriate, the case of Dr Abduljalil al-Singace with the Bahraini Government.

Ali Hajji

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to reports of the discontinuance of dental treatment for political prisoner Ali AlHajee, on what date the Government last raised the case of Ali AlHajee with the Bahraini authorities; and if she will make representations to her Bahraini counterpart for the immediate continuation of Ali AlHajee’s dental treatment.

James Cleverly: Responsibility for the provision of medical care to Ali Al Hajee lies with the Government of Bahrain, who have made clear that access to medical care for those in detention is guaranteed. We welcome these assurances from the Government of Bahrain. We encourage those with concerns about his detention to raise them with the oversight bodies.

Palestinians: Health Services

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the report by Medical Aid for Palestinians entitled Systematic Discrimination and Fragmentation as Key Barriers to Palestinian Health, published on 29 November 2021, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the findings of that report.

James Cleverly: We are aware of the report and are reviewing its findings. The UK remains firmly committed to ensuring access to essential healthcare services for all Palestinians. We are a longstanding supporter to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which provides core services, including healthcare to Palestinian refugees in Gaza. The UK Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises the importance of access to healthcare with the Israeli authorities.

Myanmar: Arms Trade

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to encourage additional nations to apply an arms embargo against the Government of Myanmar.

Amanda Milling: The UK is a longstanding supporter of an arms embargo on Myanmar. Since the coup, we have intensified efforts to stem the flow of weapons and duel-use goods reaching the military. We have secured a high level commitment from the G7 and worked with partners to secure a UN General Assembly Resolution, signed up to by 119 countries, both of which commit to preventing the flow of arms to Myanmar. We are continuing to work with our partners to call on others to make similar commitments. We also have extensive targeted sanctions on the military and its business interests. The UK is currently funding open source evidence gathering to track countries that continue to sell arms to the military. We will continue to work with partners to exert pressure on those who continue to fund and equip the military.

Israel: Palestinians

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights titled Ensuring accountability and justice for violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territory, dated 12 June 2017, what diplomatic steps the Government has taken to encourage Israel to enact the 550 recommendations made to it by the Human Rights Council mechanisms between 2009-2018.

James Cleverly: Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories is a human rights priority for the FCDO. The UK continues to engage with the Israeli government on human rights issues in the context of the occupation. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation, including the treatment of Palestinians.

China: Foreign Companies

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions officials in her Department have had with their counterparts in the US Administration on the rationale for the (a) decision by the US Government to put a dozen additional Chinese based technology companies on its restricted trading list and (b) UK Government taking similar steps.

Amanda Milling: We hold regular discussions with the US on the full range of shared global challenges, including regular discussions between the Foreign Secretary and US Secretary of State Blinken. In June, the Prime Minister and President Biden agreed a historic new 'Atlantic Charter', in which the UK and US agreed to "harness and protect our innovative edge in science and technology to support our shared security and deliver jobs at home". We also committed to "embrace the promise and manage the peril of emerging technologies, and enable open and fair trade between nations." As the Integrated Review makes clear, as an open trading economy, we will engage China and remain open to trade and investment. We will continue to pursue a positive trading relationship with China, while ensuring our national security and values are protected.

Mozambique: Armed Conflict and Human Rights

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations she has made to her counterpart in the government of Mozambique on (a) the ongoing conflict and (b) recent reports of human rights abuses in that country; and if she will make a statement.

Vicky Ford: We welcome the news that Mozambican, Southern African Development Community and Rwandan Forces have recovered areas of Cabo Delgado, north-east Mozambique, that were previously under insurgent control. We now look forward to the Government of Mozambique working with international partners to ensure humanitarian assistance reaches affected areas, and reconstruction can take place. Lord Ahmad, the UK's Minister of State for Human Rights, spoke to Mozambican Foreign Minister Macamo in March, reaffirming UK support to help Mozambique fight terrorism and stressing that respect for human rights must be at the forefront of Mozambique's response. We are working with the Government of Mozambique to address the root drivers of the conflict and instability, including by providing targeted assistance under the framework of a Defence Memorandum of Understanding and by co-chairing a high-level international taskforce on Cabo Delgado with Ireland. We are also supporting implementation of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, working with Government, civil society and the private sector to promote a community-focused approach to security and minimize the risks of human rights abuses.

Windrush Compensation Scheme: Jamaica

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government has discussed the Windrush Compensation Scheme with Prime Minister Holness of Jamaica.

Wendy Morton: This Government is resolute in our determination to see that members of the Windrush generation receive in full the compensation that they are entitled to.The Caribbean Heads of Mission Quarterly meeting, which is attended by the High Commissioner for Jamaica, H.E. Seth G. Ramocan, and chaired by the relevant Minister from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, receive updates on the Windrush Compensation Scheme and wider Windrush issues. Windrush Compensation Scheme statistics are also shared with Caribbean officials on a monthly basis to ensure they have the latest information on the Scheme.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the prospects for a negotiated peace settlement in Yemen.

James Cleverly: A negotiated political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen. The UK supports fully the efforts of the UN Special Envoy, Hans Grundberg, to drive forward the political process in Yemen. We urge the parties to engage constructively in negotiations to end the conflict and alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis.On 20 October the UK supported a UN Security Council Press Statement calling for an immediate end to the Houthi escalation in Marib. The Foreign Secretary also visited Riyadh in October where she discussed the conflict in Yemen with Saudi counterparts.

Namibia: Foreign Relations

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what most recent engagement she has had with the Government of Namibia.

Vicky Ford: The Minister of State for the Commonwealth, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, met with His Excellency Hage Geingob, the President of Namibia and the Namibian Minister for Mines and Energy during the COP26 World Leaders' Summit in Glasgow where they discussed strengthening our bilateral relationship, trade and investment, climate change and the Commonwealth. I also met the President on 4 November. Most recently, I spoke with the Deputy Prime Minister of Namibia on 26 November, when we discussed COVID, and Namibia's inclusion on the UK travel red list.

Bougainville: Sovereignty

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department will take to assist Bougainville towards independence in line with that region’s agreement with the Government of Papua New Guinea.

Vicky Ford: The UK has consistently supported implementation of the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement. This includes sharing our experience of conflict resolution and devolution, and providing almost £200,000 to UN programmes supporting the non-binding 2019 independence referendum and subsequent consultations on Bougainville’s final political status. We will continue to support international efforts to help the Governments of Papua New Guinea and Bougainville reach an agreed settlement.

Papua New Guinea: Languages

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much her Department has spent protecting endangered languages from extinction in Papua New Guinea; and what assessment she has made of the importance to indigenous communities of speaking their native languages and the wider linguistic diversity of that country.

Vicky Ford: The UK Government acknowledges the importance of Papua New Guinea's rich cultural and linguistic diversity, with almost 850 spoken languages. In partnership with the Leverhulme Trust and British Library, we are funding a three year project - True Echoes - to connect communities in Papua New Guinea with the earliest recordings of their local languages and song, dating from 1898 to 1918, and to make the archive available online for all, including Papua New Guinea's cultural institutions and future generations.

Somaliland: Police

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the Government last allocated funding to support Somaliland's police rapid response unit.

Vicky Ford: UK funding for Somaliland's Police Rapid Reaction Unit ended in March 2020. Our efforts to improve Somaliland's security sector now focus on support for the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) of the Somaliland Police (through the Counter Terrorism Programme Fund). With UK support, the CTU has successfully established and staffed a state-of-the-art investigation and detentions facility. The CTU has also achieved significant operational successes, including the prosecution of a large number of high-interest terrorism cases.Tackling Al Shabaab is one of the UK's top international counter-terrorism priorities, as we seek to keep the UK and our interests at home and overseas safe from the threat of terrorism.

Solomon Islands: Politics and Government

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the (a) political and (b) security situation in the Solomon Islands.

Vicky Ford: The UK is closely monitoring the situation in Solomon Islands through the British High Commission in Honiara and working closely with partner countries. The political situation is currently stable. On Monday 6 December, Prime Minister Sogavare defeated a vote of no-confidence in his government, securing 32 votes in his favour to 15 votes against, and with 2 abstentions. The security situation in Honiara is now calm following the recent unrest, with a large security presence including personnel from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea successfully maintaining order. We will continue to monitor the political and security situation.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Serbia

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the political dispute between Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia Herzegovina; and whether she has made representations to her respective Bosnian and Serbian counterparts to encourage cooperation between the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina within the framework of the Dayton Agreement.

Wendy Morton: The UK is deeply concerned at the deteriorating political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The Foreign Secretary met BiH Foreign Minister Turkovic at the OSCE Ministerial meeting on 1 December, and High Representative Schmidt in London on 2 December.The UK remains committed to ensuring peace and stability in BiH, and upholding its sovereignty and state integrity. We continue to work closely with political parties, civil society, and community leaders in BiH to support reconciliation efforts, tackle legacy issues, and build common purpose around a brighter future for all citizens.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2021 to Question 66206 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, what the Government records as the cost to the public purse of covid-19 vaccines donated to low-income countries and included as Official Development Assistance.

Wendy Morton: Donations to ODA-eligible countries will be reported as Official Development Assistance. The OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) will shortly issue guidelines on the specific reporting of vaccine donations in 2021.The cost per dose of the UK's COVID-19 vaccines is commercially sensitive information, and cannot be disclosed.

China: Uighurs

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the accuracy of reports that subsidiaries of BGI Group companies conducted genetic analyses of China’s minority Uighurs; and if she will take steps to backlist those companies.

Amanda Milling: We are aware of reports that subsidiaries of Chinese headquartered genome sequencing company BGI Group cooperated with the Chinese government on the collection of genetic information in Xinjiang.On 12 January 2021, the UK Government announced a series of robust measures in respect of UK supply chains to help ensure that no British organisations - government or private sector, deliberately or inadvertently - are profiting from or contributing to human rights violations against the Uyghurs or other minorities in Xinjiang. These measures include a review of export controls as they apply to Xinjiang, the introduction of financial penalties for organisations that fail to comply with their obligations under the Modern Slavery Act, and new, robust guidance to UK businesses on the specific risks faced by companies with links to the region.

Ministry of Defence

Defence Medical Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many armed forces personnel and their families received an initial assessment by the Defence Medical Services in each year since 2010.

Leo Docherty: All Armed Forces candidates are medically assessed to determine suitability for service entry. Once in service, personnel receive primary healthcare from the Defence Medical Services. The Defence Medical Information Capability Programme (DMICP) is the source of electronic, integrated healthcare records for the Armed Forces and entitled military dependants. Searches of DMICP Read codes are used to produce various statistical data about Defence healthcare. However, DMICP searches cannot determine when all individuals had an 'initial assessment' in a Defence Primary Care pathway. Consequently, the information required to answer the question is not held in the format requested.

Canada: Arctic

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Royal Navy assets will be sent to the Arctic to support Canadian operations.

James Heappey: Canada is one of our closest NATO allies and a Five Eyes partner. The Ministry of Defence is currently scoping an opportunity for UK and Canadian Armed Forces to conduct combined operations together in the near future in line with our Arctic policy of maintaining high cooperation and low tension.

Ministry of Defence: Recruitment

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence in a Competitive Age Command Paper, paragraph 4.5, published March 2021, how many additional staff have been recruited by his Department to support the Government's target to (a) increase the UK's defence diplomacy network footprint by a third and (b) expand the network of Defence Attaches since March 2021.

James Heappey: The expansion of the network of Defence Attaches will take place over several years through rebalancing Defence assets rather than necessarily recruiting additional staff. The posts which are being created in the global network require experience and knowledge of the military and Government, lending themselves to internal candidates. The network will expand by 58 posts in the next six years, with selections for 18 of those posts planned by March 2022.

Defence: Finance

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of the Prime Minister of 19 November 2020, Official Report, column 499, what progress he has made on establishing a unit to ensure  value for money from his Department's spending settlement.

Jeremy Quin: In addition to the changes we have made through the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) Approach to Investment Decisions (MAID), we continue to strengthen both our strategy and delivery structures and processes. This will enhance our ability to monitor and evaluate delivery against our priority outcomes, including value for money, and respond to delivery issues.MOD will continue to report on delivery via the Government's planning and performance framework.

HMS Glasgow

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in which year HMS Glasgow is projected to enter service.

Jeremy Quin: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my noble Friend, the Minister of State for Defence (Baroness Goldie), on 7 July 2021 to Question HL1503 in the House of Lords. HMS Glasgow (docx, 16.0KB)

Merlin Helicopters: Early Warning Systems

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who the Senior Responsible Owner is for the Crowsnest AEW system.

Jeremy Quin: Commodore Nick Walker is the Senior Responsible Owner for the CROWSNEST Airborne Surveillance and Control (ASaC) programme.All MOD appointment letters for Government Major Projects Portfolio Senior Responsible Owners (SROs) can be found at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-defence-appointment-letters-for-government-major-projects-portfolio-gmpp-senior-responsible-owners-sros

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft: Procurement

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the future procurement of the F-35.

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the statement on the Defence Command Paper, published 22 March 2021, whether his Department plans to increase the F-35 fleet beyond 48 aircraft as committed to within that Statement.

Jeremy Quin: The 2021 Integrated Review confirmed our ambition to continue the growth of the UK Lightning Force beyond 48 aircraft. We are currently undertaking a period of detailed analysis to evaluate the scale and timeline for procurement of our second tranche of F35B Lightning aircraft together with associated infrastructure and support requirements.

Military Aircraft: Accidents

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Air Force plans have crashed in the last 3 years.

James Heappey: Two Royal Air Force aircraft have been involved in crashes since 2018.

Navy: Littoral Warfare

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of whether both Littoral Response Groups are adequately resourced to undertake amphibious operations.

James Heappey: The Royal Navy will be able to conduct amphibious operations using Littoral Response Groups (LRGs) when Initial Operating Capability is established in 2023.Investment in the coming years will enable LRGs to conduct both boat and helicopter operations. Plans are being developed to enable Royal Fleet Auxiliary Bay Class ships to work solely with LRGs, and the Integrated Review endorsed the Multi-Role Support Ship programme which will ensure that capability is maintained over the long-term.3 Commando Brigade are evolving to meet the demands of the current and future operating environment and their world-class ability to conduct amphibious operations will be central to LRGs.

National Flagship

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Royal Navy ships will be allocated to escort the National Flagship, in the event that such escort services are required.

James Heappey: A decision has not been taken regarding the specific ships that will escort the National Flagship throughout the entirety of its in-service life; this will be determined by the tasking requirement at the time and will be under constant review throughout planning stages of any operation.The flexibility of the Royal Navy's force structure will allow a tailored solution to support the Commander's requirements for the specified mission.

Department for Work and Pensions

Job Centres: Armed Forces

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to fund more than 100 Armed Forces Champions posts in job centres to support former service personnel to find work.

Mims Davies: DWP is determined to provide veterans and other members of the armed forces community with the help and support they need and deserve. Our support to help veterans into jobs is unwavering with 84% gaining employment within 6 months of discharge – higher than the employment rate of the wider population. To help deliver a better service, and to respond to feedback we had had from armed forces charities and other organisations, we introduced a new Armed Forces Champions model in April 2021. It provides for 50 Armed Forces Champions alongside 11 Group Leads at managerial level. At least one Armed Forces Champion will be allocated to each Jobcentre Plus District. Their appointments mean for the first time jobcentres are providing help directly to veterans and others where additional support to access and progress in work is needed. Resources in the new network are targeted where there are particularly high levels of demand, for example in garrison towns, and where work linked to the armed forces will form a significant part of that done in individual jobcentres. Officials in the Department have discussed the new model with a number of armed forces stakeholders and overall feedback has been positive. We continue to monitor and evaluate our new approach but have no plans to increase the number of champions. In addition to the Armed Forces Champions roles, all DWP Work Coaches are trained to provide veterans and others with the help and support they need.

Kickstart Scheme

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been accepted onto a Kickstart scheme placement by (a) ethnicity and (b) gender.

Mims Davies: As of 5th December 2021, there have been around 112,000 job placement starts to the Kickstart Scheme. The Department for Work and Pensions will be monitoring and evaluating the Kickstart scheme throughout its implementation and will continue to evaluate the longer term outcomes for Kickstart participants after they have completed their six-month job placements. This will include an examination of the demographic make-up of participants, including gender and ethnicity. We will gather data on the ethnicity of Kickstart participants through the planned Kickstart participant survey and using information recorded on UC systems. We will publish the findings of the evaluation once complete. Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system which has been developed quickly. The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Employment Schemes: Older People

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether individual support programmes are available to employment seekers over the age of 50.

Mims Davies: As part of the £500m Plan for Jobs expansion, we are funding a new enhanced support package for workers aged 50 and over to help them to stay in or return to work. This offer has two strands. Older workers will receive better information and guidance on later life planning, helping them make informed choices and supporting them to plan their career and remain in work. For those who have lost their jobs, this funding will ensure that older job seekers on Universal Credit receive more intensive, tailored support as they look to take the next step in their career. Additionally, the Department’s Plan for Jobs provides funding to ensure that jobseekers of all ages get tailored support, including to reskill or pivot sectors. This includes programmes such as the Job Finding Support service, Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) and the Restart scheme, to help them find work. In particular, the JETS scheme, which has just been extended to September 2022, helps jobseekers update their digital skills, job searching tools and to identify transferrable skills. To provide support to our Work Coaches, we have a network of 50PLUS Champions across all 37 Jobcentre Plus districts who reinforce Jobcentre Plus commitment to supporting claimants aged 50 and over to find and stay in work. Their role is to raise the profile of claimants 50 and over across Jobcentre Plus and share good practice including promoting the benefits of employing people aged 50 and over to employers. 50PLUS Champions work closely with Work Coaches to help them identify the most appropriate support from within the Plan for Jobs and the wider offer.

Department for Work and Pensions: Litigation Group

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what services the Government Legal Department’s Litigation Group has provided to her Department since 1 January 2021.

Guy Opperman: Since 1 January 2021, Litigation Group has continued to provide litigation services to the majority of government departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions, and executive agencies, as well as many non-departmental public bodies. The Group’s work encompasses litigation in public and private law as well as supporting public inquiries and acting in Inquests. This has involved, amongst other things, attending in a wide range of courts, including Coroners’ Courts, the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal, the Royal Courts of Justice and the Supreme Court. Our Employment and Commercial Groups similarly provide litigation services to the majority of government departments.

Department for Work and Pensions: Staff

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with (a) the Scottish Government and (b) NHS Scotland on a fuller return to office-based working for her Department's staff based in Scotland.

Guy Opperman: Since the start of the pandemic, DWP has rigorously followed advice from the respective governments in the devolved nations – allowing people to work safely from the office, or at home. We are committed to continuing this approach. Whilst there is regular engagement with the Scottish Government, the Secretary of State has not held specific discussions, including with NHS Scotland, on returning colleagues to the workplace in DWP as this is being undertaken in strict accordance with Scottish Government guidance.

Restart Scheme

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been accepted onto the Restart scheme by (a) ethnicity and (b) gender.

Mims Davies: The information requested is currently unavailable. Details statistics on Restart, including participant breakdowns such as ethnicity and gender, are currently under development. For figures on starts to the programme please see the answer given for PQ 83366.

Kickstart Scheme

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Kickstart scheme placements have been (a) approved, (b) advertised and (c) started by young people by (i) nation (ii) region and (iii) sector; and if she will make a statement.

Mims Davies: As of the 5th December 2021, around 311,200 jobs have been approved for funding and around 112,000 Kickstart jobs have been started by young people. 223,200 jobs have been advertised and made available for young people to apply to through the scheme Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 5th December and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards. Jobs made available and starts quoted here include some unfunded Kickstart jobs. Over time, some previously approved jobs have been removed where the employer chose not to follow up the application. Included in the Great Britain total are a small number of jobs made available (less than 100 in total) that have an unrecorded job location. Data on approved jobs is taken from a snapshot of the Kickstart system at a point in time. This figure can be affected by retrospective changes resulting from applications being rescinded. The number of approved jobs is defined as the number of jobs associated with approved applications recorded on the Kickstart application system on the date above. This total excludes approved jobs that have been withdrawn from the Kickstart Scheme by agreement with employers and gateways. Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly. The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme. Table 1- Kickstart jobs made available and started by nation. LocationJobs Made AvailableCumulative Jobs StartedEngland19509096760Scotland167809730Wales113005330  Table 2 - Kickstart jobs made available and started by region. LocationJobs Made AvailableCumulative Jobs StartedScotland167809730Wales113005330East Midlands134206860East of England173808010London4910023920North East92905310North West2811014180South East2518012030South West148706940West Midlands1990010490Yorkshire and The Humber178409020*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals.   Table 3 - Kickstart jobs made available and started by sector. SectorJobs Made AvailableCumulative Jobs StartedAdministration5504027600Animal Care1330900Beauty & Wellbeing1630920Business & Finance83304110Computing Technology & Digital156109080Construction & Trades66803510Creative & Media1907011090Delivery & Storage62603180Emergency & Uniform Services490250Engineering & Maintenance68003400Environment & Land42302210Government Services940340Healthcare58302360Home Services1680600Hospitality & Food251509480Law & Legal540350Managerial1000490Manufacturing61602980Retail & Sales3323018770Science & Research870560Social Care47401840Sports & Leisure54102730Teaching & Education106804500Transport840250Travel & Tourism700330*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bomb Disposal: Seas and Oceans

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2021 to Question 37500, Bomb Disposal: Seas and Oceans, what progress has been made on the first at sea trails of alternative clearance methods for unexploded ordnance which were planned to begin in October 2021.

Rebecca Pow: The Danish Navy and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are working together to deliver the first at sea trials of deflagration on unexploded ordinance. The first trials were planned for October 2021 but have been rescheduled to January 2022 due to operational and logistical constraints. Working at sea in changeable conditions and with old and degraded explosives is challenging and it is essential that appropriate expertise and equipment are available, not least to maintain high safety standards.The UK Government, marine regulators and statutory nature conservation bodies published a joint interim position statement last month on disposal techniques for unexploded ordnance. This demonstrates, for the first time, a preference for quieter alternative technologies and ensures low noise alternatives will be prioritized, wherever possible, over detonations.

Nature Conservation

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a national nature service, as proposed by the Wildlife and Countryside Link, to (a) create jobs and (b) help meet nature recovery targets; whether he has had discussions with (i) Cabinet colleagues and (ii) his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on those proposals; and if he will make a statement.

Rebecca Pow: The Government is taking forward reforms to put employers at the heart of the skills system to ensure it is responsive to the needs of local economies, as set out in the Skills for Jobs White Paper. The increased investment that we plan to drive into nature's recovery over the coming years will create green jobs in various sectors, and a demand from employers for the requisite skills. In preparation for this, Defra is working with relevant sectors and stakeholders to understand its future skills needs in more detail.The Government is already taking action to create and retain jobs to support nature’s recovery, and to develop a pipeline of talent, in order to support delivery of our commitments in this area. For example, our £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund is enabling environmental charities and their partners across England to create and retain around 2,500 jobs by 2023, including training, apprenticeship and upskilling opportunities that meet the needs of the sector. Additionally, our England Tree Action Plan and Net Zero Strategy tree planting targets will support an estimated 2,000 jobs across England in 2030, including new professional foresters, supervisors, operatives, and adjacent occupations.Furthermore, Defra is working with DfE on their draft Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy which will increase opportunities for children and young people to engage with nature and develop their skills. We are also working with BEIS, DWP and DfE on Government's wider green jobs and skills policy.Policy for the natural environment, and skills and education, are devolved matters and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Sugar Beet: Neonicotinoids

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to make a decision on the application from British Sugar for emergency authorisation for the use of neonicotinoid thiamethoxam on sugar beet.

Victoria Prentis: We are considering the emergency authorisation application made by British Sugar for the use of Cruiser SB (containing thiamethoxam) on sugar beet and the related evidence. A decision is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Seasonal Workers: Pilot Schemes

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what date the most recent meeting took place between a Minister from his Department and (a) Pro-Force Ltd, (b) Fruitful Jobs, (c) Concordia Ltd and (d) AG Recruitment and Management Ltd.

Victoria Prentis: As a result of the work on the temporary visa schemes for poultry workers, pig butchers and HGV drivers transporting food, Defra officials are in almost daily contact with the operators of the Seasonal Workers Pilot.

Seasonal Workers: Pilot Schemes

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 26 October 2021 to Question 58820, on how many occasions his Department has been notified of (a) an operator or (b) a farm not meeting the required standards.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on how many occasions workers employed under the Seasonal Worker pilot have (a) complained about their employer, (b) requested a transfer and (c) been transferred.

Victoria Prentis: There have been a few instances where the Department has been notified of farms not meeting the required standard. Defra takes the welfare of seasonal workers very seriously and works very closely with operators, the Gangmasters Labour and Abuse Authority (GLAA) and the Home Office to address any concerns and ensure standards are met and maintained. The operators of the scheme are licensed by the GLAA. The GLAA will ensure that all workers are placed with farms that adhere to all relevant legislation, including paying the National Minimum Wage. Farms are vetted to ensure that living and working conditions are of a suitable quality. The Home Office sponsored licensing system places clear and binding requirements and obligations on the scheme operators to safeguard Pilot workers. Should any of the operators fall short in their duties as a sponsor, action will be taken, up to and including the revocation of their sponsor licence. The Home Office and Defra monitor the scheme closely to ensure operators adhere to the stringent requirements set for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the seasonal workers. The monitoring process includes site visits by Home Office Sponsor Compliance Teams, and we are working closely with the GLAA to share best practice for conducting such compliance visits and to share intelligence of our respective findings. We intend to publish the first-year review of the Seasonal Workers Pilot as soon as possible. Additional considerations will be made for the future based on the outcomes of the review.

Seasonal Workers: Pilot Schemes

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the current number of workers employed under the Seasonal Worker pilot who are subject to zero-hours contracts; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Prentis: There are no workers employed under the Seasonal Workers Pilot on zero-hours contracts.

Avian Influenza: Disease Control

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the UK-wide housing measures introduced to protect poultry and captive birds against avian flu introduced by the Animal Health and Plant Health Agency apply to game birds.

Jo Churchill: An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) came into force across Great Britain on 3 November 2021, and in Northern Ireland on 17 November 2021. Additional housing measures, introduced across the UK from 29 November 2021, make it a legal requirement for all bird keepers across the UK (whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock) to keep their birds indoors and follow strict biosecurity measures to limit the spread of avian influenza. Game birds are susceptible to avian influenza and the AIPZ measures, including the housing measures, apply to game birds and all other kept birds. Where housing measures are in force and it is not possible to meet the basic welfare requirements of particular game bird species by housing or fully netting areas, alternative steps must be taken to prevent contact either directly or indirectly with wild birds. Game birds that have already been released are classified as wild birds and the measures introduced within the AIPZ do not therefore apply.

Sewage: Pollution Control

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to ensure that untreated sewage is not discharged into rivers, inland waterways and the sea.

Rebecca Pow: This Government is the first Government to set out our expectation that water companies must take steps to significantly reduce storm overflows. We have gone further and made that position law. The amount of sewage discharge by water companies into our rivers is not acceptable. We have made it crystal clear to water companies that they must up their game. If we do not start to see significant improvements, we will not hesitate to take action.

Air Pollution

Mr Virendra Sharma: Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward a standalone clean air Bill.

Jo Churchill: We know that air pollution is the greatest environmental hazard to health, and we have taken significant action to clean up our air. Emissions of nitrogen oxides are now at their lowest levels since records began. But there is more to do. The landmark Environment Act includes a clear duty to set new targets for air quality. The Environment Act ensures local authorities have strengthened powers to tackle air pollution and more. This builds on our Clean Air Strategy.

Home Office

Internet: Sexual Harassment

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of cyberflashing images that were reported to law enforcement in England and Wales in the last five years.

Damian Hinds: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Home Office: Litigation Group

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what services the Government Legal Department’s Litigation Group has provided to her Department since 1 January 2021.

Damian Hinds: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Refugees: France

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with her French counterpart on (a) the welfare of refugees in France who are attempting to arrive in the UK and (b) safeguards for child refugees who are targeted by criminal gangs operating in the English Channel.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Secretary maintains regular contact with her French counterpart, Interior Minister Darmanin on small boats crossings and their related issues. The responsibility for asylum seekers and refugees lies with the authorities of the country in which they are present in accordance with their international obligations. France has a fully functioning asylum system and is party to both the ECHR and the Refugee Convention.

Homicide: Females

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of women killed by men since 2012; and what steps her Department is taking to prevent women being killed through men's violence.

Rachel Maclean: The Home Office Homicide Index shows that between 2012/13 and 2019/20 there were 1,005 female victims (aged 16 and over) of homicide where the suspect was male.The Government takes women’s safety very seriously and is determined to tackle crimes which disproportionately affect women and girls.We have published a new Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy and will be publishing a complementary Domestic Abuse Strategy in the New Year. The new strategies will help transform the response to these crimes, from prevention and raising awareness, support to victims and survivors, to ensuring perpetrators are brought to justice.As part of the new VAWG Strategy commitments, work is underway to launch a national communications campaign in the New Year, which will focus on targeting perpetrators, educating young people about healthy relationships and ensuring victims can access support.We are doing a considerable amount of work on domestic homicides which is a horrific crime that disproportionately impacts females. Homicide Index data for 2017/18 to 2019/20 show that 76% of victims of domestic homicide were female. The Home Office worked with the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s domestic abuse and homicide leads to fund a rapid review pilot at the start of the first lockdown to track domestic homicides and enable the police to respond to spikes.We firmly believe that tackling perpetrators of abuse is key to reducing domestic homicides. In 2020/21, the Chancellor announced £10 million in funding for DA perpetrator programmes, which was the first fund of its kind. This year the funding has increased to £25 million, more than doubling the funding for addressing perpetrators of domestic abuse. Of this, over £18 million has been provided to local areas to introduce new perpetrator programmes this year.In addition to this, Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) must be considered for all deaths involving a person over the age of 16 where domestic abuse has, or appears to have been a factor. We have undertaken to create a central repository for all DHRs which will allow us to better understand the patterns and trends of domestic homicides.

Crimes of Violence: Crime Prevention

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on where the Cardiff model of violence prevention has been implemented in the UK.

Rachel Maclean: The Government's 2018 Serious Violence Strategy for England and Wales sets out the expectation that, in line with the Cardiff Model for violence prevention, Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) work with local hospitals to implement the sharing of appropriate health data to tackle serious violence. Information standard ISB1594, which applies to all Accident and Emergency departments, sets out the details of the minimum dataset to be provided.To support local areas in the delivery of their response to serious violence, from 2019-2022 we have invested £105.5 million into the development of 18 Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in the police force areas worst affected by serious violence, which account for 80% of all hospital admissions for injury with a sharp object in England and Wales. A list of all 18 funded areas is included here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/355m-to-support-young-people-at-risk-of-involvement-in-serious-violenceVRUs combine the collective expertise of local agency partners, including those from health settings, to identify the drivers of serious violence and agree a multi-agency response to them. This includes the proactive sharing of data between health and other partners, emulating the Cardiff Model. The Home Office holds significant management information pertaining to VRU progress across a number of key priorities, including effective sharing of data with partners. As per the published 2019/20 VRU Evaluation, all 18 areas have made good progress in generating and sharing data across numerous partners to inform their direction of travel.Beyond the 18 areas in receipt of VRU funding, we will also be introducing the Serious Violence Duty through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which will require authorities and bodies delivering public services, including health, to collaborate in preventing and reducing serious violence in all areas across England and Wales.

Insulate Britain: Police Custody

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the policing decision to release female Insulate Britain activists from police stations far from their homes in London in the early hours of the morning.

Kit Malthouse: Decisions on detention and release from police custody are an operational matter for the police.We expect the police to exercise such decisions in accordance with legislation and their training which includes the requirement to critically evaluate considerations when detainees have vulnerabilities or there are identified risks on release.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the date on which the Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme will commence.

Victoria Atkins: The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme is not yet open and remains under development. Officials are working urgently to stand up the remaining elements of the scheme. The first to be resettled through this scheme will be some of those who arrived in the UK under the evacuation programme, which included individuals who were considered to be at particular risk.Further information on the eligibility, prioritisation and referral of people for the ACRS is set out in the policy statement published on gov.uk on 13 September, available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the eligibility of Afghan nationals who formerly attended UK universities to be resettled in the UK.

Victoria Atkins: The ACRS is not yet open. Officials are working urgently to stand up the remaining elements of the scheme.Further information on the eligibility, prioritisation and referral of people for the ACRS is set out in the policy statement published on gov.uk on 13 September, available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement.

Sex Establishments

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to update guidance to local authorities on sexual entertainment venues.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of local authorities' ability to adequately enforce sexual entertainment venue legislation.

Rachel Maclean: Local Authorities have powers to control the number and location of lap dancing clubs and similar venues in their area. These powers are not mandatory and only apply where they are adopted by Local Authorities. Where adopted, these provisions allow local authorities to refuse an application on potentially wider grounds than is permitted under the Licensing Act 2003 and give local people a greater say over the regulation of lap dancing clubs and similar venues in their area.Under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 Act, Local Authorities can consider whether granting a licence for a lap dancing club would be appropriate, having regard to the character of the area and the use to which other premises in the vicinity are put. For example, a Local Authority may decide that it would be inappropriate to grant a licence for a lap dancing club in a residential area or next door to a school. In March 2010, under the previous government, the Home Office published guidance on Sexual Entertainment Venues for Local Authorities carrying out their function under Schedule 3. This is the latest guidance that can be used by local authorities.Protecting those involved in prostitution and sex work from harm is also a strand of our wider work to eradicate violence against women and girls (VAWG). In 2019 the police updated the National Policing Sex Work and Prostitution Guidance – this makes clear that the safety of people engaged in sex work must be paramount to the police service.Since 2016, the Government has provided over £2 million to specialist organisations supporting those involved in sex work and prostitution.We are determined to ensure that women feel safe everywhere - at home, at work, at school, online, or on the streets. That is why we are delivering a £5 million ‘Safety of Women at Night’ fund and an additional £25 million Safer Streets Fund focused on improving public safety, with an emphasis on women and girls’ safety in public spaces.In order to continue ensuring that the Government is addressing the exploitation and harm of women which may arise from prostitution and sex work, the Home Office will work with other Government departments, the police, charities and others to consider whether there are additional measures to address those aspects of sex work and prostitution that have the potential to cause harm or exploitation. We will also bring forward a standalone Tackling Modern Slavery Strategy to complement our published Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy.

Asylum: Housing

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts and the performance of the three contracted companies, Clearsprings, Mears and Serco.

Kevin Foster: We are dealing with an unprecedented pressures on the asylum system, but despite this we continue to ensure the accommodation provided is safe, comfortable and secure. AASC Service Delivery Managers manage contract performance on a daily basis. In response to the global pandemic, officials also have formal weekly meetings to ensure individuals are housed safely, services are delivered in line with their contractual obligations and with adherence to guidance from Public Health England (PHE) is followed.

Refugees: Children

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether child refugees who are accommodated in hotels have access to education and the facilities to play in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Kevin Foster: Unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) who are temporarily accommodated in UASC hotels, whilst awaiting a permanent placement with a local authority under the National Transfer Scheme, have access to play materials in communal spaces, in addition to the opportunity to engage with activities on and off site.Education provision is the responsibility of the local authorities and is provided once they have received the UASC into their care.

Migrants: Finance

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made on reviewing the No Recourse to Public Funds condition in response to the recommendations in the report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, published in November 2020, assessing her Department's hostile environment policy.

Tom Pursglove: I would firstly like to address the use of the term ‘hostile environment’ in the honourable Member’s question. This language does not reflect Government policy or our values. The UK’s measures on access to work, benefits and services have been introduced by successive governments over many years, and these are consistent with legislative frameworks operated by most other comparable countries. The principle of No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) forms part of that framework and was established as far back as 1971 and is a condition that is applied to those staying here with a temporary immigration status. Our review of the NRPF measure forms part of the Home Office’s full evaluation of its compliant environment policies and measures, both individually and cumulatively. This was set out in “Response to the Windrush Lessons Learned Review: a comprehensive improvement plan”, published in 2020. As part of our ongoing review, we also systematically revisit our Equality Impact Assessments, including relating to NRPF, to ensure that policies remain in accordance with our Public Sector Equality Duties. The Home Office has also set up a national NRPF stakeholder forum to gather information on actual and potential impacts of its NRPF policy. The group meets on a quarterly basis and comprises representatives from central government, local government authorities across the four UK nations, the NRPF Network, and other third sector organisations with a specific interest in the subject. Where appropriate, the trends, emerging issues, and evidence gathered from this forum will be used to inform policy development in this area. We continue to seek alternative means to secure more NRPF-related data in order to understand who might be impacted by the policy as well as looking at improving the quality and availability of data on protected characteristics. On 31 August we provided the Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) with an update on the progress of the review of the compliant environment. A copy of the letter can be found at:https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/7162/documents/75657/default/

Asylum: Mobile Phones

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 17 November 2020 to Question 114198, under what statutory powers the mobile telephones of people arriving by boat are seized and held for three to six months.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of mobile telephones that have been confiscated from people arriving to the UK by boat since November 2020 have been returned to their owners.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her Department’s policy to confiscate (a) wedding rings and (b) other items belonging to migrants arriving in the UK by small boat.

Tom Pursglove: 85276: The statutory powers used to seize mobile phones are s. 19 of PACE as applied by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Application to immigration officers and designated customs officers in England and Wales) Order 2013 (the PACE Order) and s. 48 Immigration Act 2016.85277: – Since November 2020, Immigration Enforcement have returned to the owners the majority of mobile telephone devices which have been seized by people arriving illegally via small boat to the UK.85278: It is not our policy to take wedding rings from people. Personal items may be taken for safekeeping during the initial screening of migrants, but these are restored to the owner at the earliest opportunity. Items that may provide evidence of a criminal offence such as people smuggling may can be retained for a longer period if they form part of an active investigation.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Transport: Local Government Finance

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to grant additional funding to local authorities to assist with (a) littering, (b) anti-social behaviour and (c) other issues that arise at transport hubs.

Kemi Badenoch: Government will outline proposals for distributing funding to local authorities in the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year. Government has a long-standing policy to provide grant funding to local government on a non-ringfenced basis as part of the commitment to greater localism. This policy provides greater funding flexibility to local authorities and supports them to make spending decisions based on their local needs and priorities.On anti-social behaviour (ASB) specifically, the Government is committed to tackling and preventing ASB. We know the serious impact that persistent anti-social behaviour can have on both individuals and communities. In July the Beating Crime Plan laid out the Government's plan for tackling crime and its commitment to working with local agencies and partners to drive down ASB using the full range of powers and tools in the 2014 Act. That is why we provided the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to ASB through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers depending on the specific circumstances.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Litigation Group

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what services the Government Legal Department’s Litigation Group has provided to his Department since 1 January 2021.

Eddie Hughes: Since 1 January 2021, Litigation Group has continued to provide litigation services to the majority of government departments, including the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and executive agencies, as well as many non-departmental public bodies.The Group’s work encompasses litigation in public and private law as well as supporting public inquiries and acting in Inquests. This has involved, amongst other things, attending in a wide range of courts, including Coroners’ Courts, the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal, the Royal Courts of Justice and the Supreme Court. Our Employment and Commercial Groups similarly provide litigation services to the majority of government departments and have done so in the period in question.

Public Lavatories

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making the provision of public toilets a statutory duty for local authorities.

Kemi Badenoch: Local authorities are best placed to make decisions about public toilet provision in their localities. In this year’s Settlement, the Government made available an increase in Core Spending Power in England from £49 billion in 2020-21 to up to £51.3 billion in 2021-22, a 4.6% increase in cash terms. This recognises the resources councils need to meet their pressures and maintain current service levels.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Northern Ireland

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to manage the period between the European Social Fund-funded projects in Northern Ireland and the commencement of Shared Prosperity Fund-supported projects to help ensure that there are no gaps in funding and to reduce potential risk of redundancies for jobs dependent on that funding.

Neil O'Brien: At Spending Review 2021, the Government announced over £2.6 billion for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.We are ensuring that domestic UK-wide funding will at least match EU receipts, reaching around £1.5 billion a year in 2024-25 when EU funding ceases, while also providing for a smooth transition onto the new, domestic regime.The Government will publish further details on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in due course.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Northern Ireland

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what structures or processes are in place to ensure that the application of the Shared Prosperity Fund in Northern Ireland is aligned to policies of the Northern Ireland Executive.

Neil O'Brien: The UK Government will continue to engage the devolved administrations and local partners as we develop the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. We have committed that the devolved administrations will be represented on the governance structures for the Fund. The Government will publish further details on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in due course.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Northern Ireland

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his timetable is for opening applications to the Shared Prosperity Fund in Northern Ireland.

Neil O'Brien: At Spending Review 2021, the Government announced over £2.6 billion for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, with funding ramping up to £1.5 billion in 2024/25.The Government recognises the importance of reassuring local areas on the future of local growth funding and of providing clarity on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.The Government will publish further details on the fund in due course.

Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the conclusions were of the equalities impact assessment for his Department's proposals for the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019.

Neil O'Brien: My Department has been implementing the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 which requires the Secretary of State to prepare a Code of Practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities. The Code is currently being finalised and, as part of that, we are considering any equalities impacts it may have. The Code will be published along with Private Parking Charges, Discount Rates, Debt Collection Fees and Appeals Charter: Further Technical Consultation Response in due course.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Northern Ireland

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what percentage of all levelling up funding awarded to date has been awarded to projects in Northern Ireland.

Neil O'Brien: The Government has introduced a number of new funding programmes to level up the whole of the UK, including Northern Ireland. To date, this has seen 2.9% of the Levelling Up Fund awarded from the first round to projects in Northern Ireland, equating to almost £50 million.   In the first round of the UK Community Ownership Fund, 5.6% of the funding was awarded; and through the UK Community Renewal Fund 6% of the funding will go to benefit communities across Northern Ireland.

Business: Government Assistance

Sir Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) effectiveness of the that role district councils played in the rapid deployment of the £9 billion covid-19 business support grants programme and (b) impact that role had on preserving businesses and jobs; and if he will make a statement.

Neil O'Brien: The Government has introduced an unprecedented package of support for businesses, including grants for those businesses that are required to close, or which are severely affected by the restrictions put in place to tackle Covid-19 and save lives. Since the start of the pandemic, the Government has allocated a total of over £26 billion on business grants. All Covid-19 Business Grant schemes have been administered through lower tier local authorities in England The Government recognises the important and valuable contribution that local government employees make to the delivery of excellent public services, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has presented real and complex challenges for local authorities and has put their resources under pressure.    The Government continues to work closely with local authorities in England to support the implementation of business grants during the Covid-19 pandemic and monitor the distribution of grant funds.

Local Government

Laura Trott: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have held discussions with representatives of district councils on the development of county deals.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which district council leaders he has directly engaged regarding the development of county deals.

Sir Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions he has had with district councils on the development of county deals; and if he will make a statement.

Neil O'Brien: District council representatives were invited to an online seminar held by the Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government on July 27 2021. Since then a series of meetings have taken place between local representatives, officials and ministers to understand areas’ proposals for county deals; district councils were welcome at these meetings. In discussions thus far, we have been pleased to see collaboration between county and district councils on devolution proposals to deliver better outcomes for their area. Further details on county deals will be set out in the forthcoming Levelling Up White Paper.

Regional Planning and Development: Smoking

Mark Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the levelling up white paper will consider (a) health inequalities and (b) the use of vaping devices as a solution to reducing smoking rates.

Neil O'Brien: The forthcoming levelling up white paper will set out the UK Government’s approach to tackling spatial inequalities across the country in order to improve outcomes in places where they are weakest. Addressing stark disparities in health outcomes between places is a important part of levelling up, because people should have the opportunity to live long, healthy lives wherever they live. We recognise that smoking is a key driver of these disparities.We are clear that the best thing a smoker can do for their health is to quit smoking and e-cigarettes have an important role to play to support this. However, while e-cigarettes are safer than smoking, they are not risk free. They should only be used as a tool to help people stop smoking.The Department for Health & Social Care is considering a range of policy and regulatory changes to achieve our ambition to be smoke-free by 2030. These will be set out in our new Tobacco Control Plan, which we will publish in due course

Buildings: Safety

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing regulation of the residential block management industry to improve building safety.

Christopher Pincher: The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and renters and making sure that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service. This commitment includes raising professionalism and standards amongst managing agents, protecting consumers while defending the reputation of good agents from the actions of rogue operatives. We therefore welcome the ongoing work being undertaken by the industry itself to raise professionalism and standards across the sector.The Government is considering the recommendations in the report received from the working group on the regulation of property agents chaired by Lord Best. We welcome the work of the independent steering group on codes of practice for property agents, and we will continue to work with industry on improving best practice.With regard to building safety, the Government is bringing forward fundamental changes to the building regulatory regime through the Building Safety Bill. This includes establishing a new regulator which will have oversight of the whole built environment; and improve building and fire safety, so that people will be, and will feel, safer in their homes.

Social Rented Housing: Evictions

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the impact of ending Section 21 eviction notices on social housing registered providers in (a) Stockport, (b) Greater Manchester, (c) the Northwest and (d) England.

Christopher Pincher: The Government is committed to bringing in a Better Deal for Renters to deliver a fairer and more effective rental market that works for both tenants and landlords, which includes taking steps to end Section 21 evictions.The impact on areas across England of abolishing section 21 is being carefully considered. In addition to the consultation we ran in 2019, we are engaging extensively with stakeholders, including discussions with the National Housing Federation and a roundtable discussion with private registered providers of social housing from across England, to consider these impacts. We will publish a White Paper with further details on these reforms in 2022.

Housing: Standards

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has plans to tackle health inequalities as a result of inadequate housing in (a) Stockport, (b) Greater Manchester, (c) the Northwest and (d) England.

Christopher Pincher: The Government is committed to ensuring everyone has a safe and healthy home. Since 2010, Government has invested over £4 billion into the Disabled Facilities Grant which is a capital grant administered by local authorities in England to help meet the cost of home adaptations for eligible people to live safely and independently at home.   Going further, we are currently reviewing the Decent Homes Standard, which applies to Social Housing, to consider whether it needs updating to deliver what is needed for safety and decency today along with overhauling the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), the tool used to assess hazardous conditions in rented homes, making it more accessible to tenants and landlords.

Housing: Sales

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce a limit on the level of legal fees that can be imposed upon a homeowner trying to sell their home in the event that the buyer pulls out late in that process.

Christopher Pincher: We recognise that the process for buying and selling homes in England and Wales can be frustrating. In our response to the Call for Evidence for improving the home buying and selling process, we set out actions we will take to make the process more efficient and less costly.One part of this work is encouraging the adoption of voluntary reservation agreements. These would see buyers and sellers committing to the sale once an offer has been accepted and may include both sides making a financial commitment which would be surrendered to the other side if the party withdraws without good reason. These agreements will provide more certainty for both sides as the sale moves forward to completion; reducing the risk of parties withdrawing from transactions. In the event a party does withdraw the other side may get some financial compensation to cover their costs.In order to be widely taken up, reservation agreements need to be attractive to buyers and sellers, and promoted by estate agents and legal representatives. Following behavioural insight research, work is now continuing to develop the agreements to make them an effective tool in improving the efficiency of home buying and selling and we hope to be able to evaluate their effectiveness next year.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the outcome of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions' five-year periodic review of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he plans to take to help ensure that the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is able to operate in full compliance with United Nations General Assembly Resolution 48/134, known as the Paris Principles.

Conor Burns: We are aware of the recent recommendations made by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions regarding the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and are working with the Commission to review the issues raised. We provide funding to the Commission both for their work in the protection of rights set out in the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, but also for their participation in the Dedicated Mechanism. We are absolutely committed to ensuring the Commission has the ability and resources to carry out its core functions, and we are in regular communication with the Chief Commissioner, Commissioners and staff regarding the important work that the Commission carries out.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many times he has met with victim groups as part of his consultation on the plans announced in the White Paper, Addressing the Legacy of Northern Ireland's Past.

Conor Burns: I refer the hon Gentleman to the answer provided on 30 November (UIN 79422).

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on trade between Wales and Northern Ireland.

Conor Burns: Trade within the UK internal market is vital to our economic prosperity and is a key part of the Government's commitment to strengthen the Union, bringing us closer together. Trade across the Irish Sea with Scotland, Wales and England accounts for nearly sixty per cent of Northern Ireland’s total external trade. Trade between Wales and Northern Ireland is important to the success of both economies, and the Government remains committed to strengthening these routes, to level up all parts of the United Kingdom. I am delighted that Northern Ireland recently hosted the Board of Trade, which discussed opportunities for growth in digital trade across the UK. It brought together Cabinet ministers and trade advisers to highlight Northern Ireland's fantastic businesses, and opportunities for investment. We are committed to boosting overseas exports from Northern Ireland, and the Department for International Trade has established a hub in Northern Ireland to assist businesses to export. Invest NI, the Department for International Trade and the Northern Ireland Office will do everything they can to promote Northern Ireland’s excellent goods and services.

Drugs: Northern Ireland

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress the Government has made on establishing an agreement with the EU to facilitate the supply of medicines to Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Conor Burns: We have been in ongoing technical talks with the EU. There has been some potential convergence on the medicines issue but agreement has not been reached. Any acceptable solution needs to ensure that medicines are available at the same time and on the same basis across the whole of the UK. Continued supply of medicines to Northern Ireland is paramount.

Northern Ireland Government

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many of the commitments made in the New Decade, New Approach agreement have been fully implemented.

Conor Burns: The UK Government has delivered 11 of the commitments it signed up to in the New Decade, New Approach deal. We have released over £700 million of the £2 billion of funding agreed in the deal, delivered a series of events marking the centenary of Northern Ireland, and introduced institutional reforms via the Northern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill. We continue to drive progress on our outstanding commitments as a matter of priority.

Treasury

Utilities: Biofuels and Red Diesel

Drew Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of including water and power companies and other utility providers in the list of organisations entitled to use red diesel and rebated biofuels.

Helen Whately: Following consultation in 2020, the Chancellor confirmed at Spring Budget 2021 that the Government will remove the entitlement to use red diesel from most sectors from April 2022. This will more fairly reflect the negative environmental impact of the emissions they produce and help to ensure that the tax system incentivises the development and adoption of greener alternatives. The Government did not believe that the cases made by sectors that will not retain their red diesel entitlement outweighed its environmental objectives. Regarding certain utility providers, the Government will be amending the qualifying fuel definition accordingly to ensure that businesses currently using red diesel to generate electricity for supply through a licensed supplier can continue to reclaim the fuel duty, less any carbon price support payment due, once they have to use fully duty-paid diesel from 1 April 2022.

Tax Avoidance

Mr Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will carry out a further review of the loan charge.

Lucy Frazer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer that was given to PQ UIN 83372.

UK Infrastructure Bank: Natural Resources

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what role the new UK Infrastructure Bank will have in restoring natural capital.

John Glen: As set out in its Framework Document, the UK Infrastructure Bank will pursue two strategic objectives: to help tackle climate change, particularly meeting our net zero emissions target by 2050; and to support regional and local economic growth. While the Bank’s initial focus will be on climate change mitigation and resilience, the Government will review the case for broadening this to include other areas such as improving the UK’s natural capital, before bringing forward legislation to put the Bank on a statutory footing.

Climate Change Convention

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to (a) assess and (b) meet the funding required to sustain the UK’s Presidency of the UNFCCC COP in advance of COP27 in Egypt.

Helen Whately: Any funding for preparations for COP27 will be met by the responsible departments. Departmental funding requirements for the 2022-23 financial year were confirmed at Spending Review 2021.

Treasury: Regulation

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department plans to publish a policy paper on regulatory reform; and if he will make an assessment of the implications for his Department's policies of the advice of the Institution of Civil Engineers that the Government, via its National Infrastructure Strategy, should outline clear, long-term and strategic policy objectives that allow better alignment between regulatory, industry and policy activity.

Helen Whately: The Government will publish an overarching policy paper on economic regulation in due course. The paper will consider how best to provide long term cross-sector strategic direction to the utility regulators, in order to provide greater clarity for regulators, investors and consumers.

Health Foods: Prices

Alberto Costa: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the affordability of gluten free products.

Helen Whately: It is not for the UK Government to set retail food prices or to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions by retailers. However, we continue to monitor prices closely using the Consumer Prices Index and to work with industry to promote transparency for consumers.Gluten free foods, specifically, are regulated under general food law in England and provided to all coeliac patients on NHS prescription. Extensive arrangements are in place to help people afford NHS prescriptions, including a broad range of NHS prescription charge exemptions. Together these exemptions currently mean around 89% of NHS prescription items are dispensed in the community free of charge.

Tax Avoidance

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his latest estimate is of the number of people who will become bankrupt as a result of the Loan Charge.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the number of people subject to Loan Charge repayments who have been made bankrupt.

Lucy Frazer: No estimate can be provided for the number of people who have fallen into debt or who have been declared bankrupt that are subject to the Loan Charge. Where debts arise, HMRC are not always the only creditor. Some individuals are declared bankrupt as a result of a non-HMRC debt and some individuals may choose to enter insolvency themselves based on their overall financial position. HMRC only ever considers insolvency as a last resort, and they encourage taxpayers to get in contact to agree the best way to settle their tax debts. To date, HMRC has not initiated insolvency proceedings against any taxpayer for a Loan Charge debt. Anyone who is worried about being able to pay what they owe should contact HMRC, who may be able to agree an instalment arrangement based on the individuals’ financial circumstances, and there is no maximum length.

Housing: Valuation

Ben Lake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Valuation Office Agency is taking to incorporate the potential effects of climate change into valuations, including (a) rising sea levels, (b) flooding and (c) storm surge damage.

Lucy Frazer: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) monitors how the potential effects of climate change are being reflected in current open market value transactions. By looking at how market reactions may evolve, the VOA ensures valuations are appropriately aligned. The VOA follows current guidance from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors on relevant topics, such as flooding, and continues to monitor developments in the associated fields of climate change and renewable energy measures.

Tax Avoidance

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to announce a further review of the Loan Charge in response to the eighth referral of a case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct where a taxpayer has taken their life and used a disguised remuneration scheme.

Lucy Frazer: An independent review of the Loan Charge has already taken place. The 2019 Review, conducted by Lord Morse, concluded that it was right for the Loan Charge to remain in force and right for the Government to collect the tax due, but made a number of recommendations to reduce the impact of the policy. The Government accepted all but one of the 20 recommendations, and those changes are estimated to have benefitted over 30,000 individuals, removing 11,000 from the Loan Charge entirely. The charge on disguised remuneration loans is targeted at contrived tax avoidance schemes which seek to avoid income tax and National Insurance contributions by paying users their income in the form of loans, usually via an offshore trust. This kind of tax avoidance deprives the Exchequer of funds to deliver vital public services. Any loss of life is a tragedy, and the Government’s thoughts are with the families of those affected. The Government will continue to work with HMRC to consider what additional support could be provided to taxpayers who need extra help.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2021 to Question 56446 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, what estimate he has made of the potential cost of extending the 5 per cent VAT rate applied to charging electric vehicles at home to all electric vehicle charging points in public places.

Lucy Frazer: The requested information is not available. HMRC does not hold information on VAT revenue from specific products or services because businesses are not required to provide figures at a product level on their VAT returns as this would impose an excessive administrative burden.

Off-payroll Working

Mr Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the obligations of employment agencies and umbrella companies under Chapter 10, Part 2 of The Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003.

Lucy Frazer: Chapter 10, Part 2 of The Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 (ITEPA) relates to the off-payroll working rules, which apply to engagements where a worker provides their services through their own intermediary. It does not apply to engagements where workers provide their services as an employee of an agency or umbrella company. Under the off-payroll rules, employment agencies are responsible for passing the Status Determination Statement to the party below them in the labour supply chain. If they are the deemed employer, they will be responsible for operating PAYE on the engagement. Umbrella companies are responsible for operating PAYE on payments to workers employed by them; these engagements do not fall within the off-payroll working rules in Chapter 10 of ITEPA. On 30 November 2021, the Government published a Call for Evidence on the umbrella company market, inviting views on the role that they play in the labour market and the ways in which they interact with the tax and employment rights systems: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/call-for-evidence-umbrella-company-market

Tax Avoidance

Mr Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HMRC received legal advice supporting the pursuit of employees rather than employers for use of loan schemes.

Lucy Frazer: The long-standing basis of the UK income tax system is that individuals are responsible for paying their tax liabilities. Individuals are therefore liable for tax on their income received through disguised remuneration avoidance schemes, whether as a loan or in some other form. Where there is an employer, the employer may be obliged to operate PAYE on the payments to their employees. In these circumstances, HMRC in the first instance, and wherever possible, seeks to recover the tax due through PAYE from the employer. However, the employee remains the person liable to the income tax and in some circumstances the law allows HMRC to recover the tax due directly from the employee.

Question

Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much of the estimated £40 million in Barnett consequentials from the £300 million final round of the Culture Recovery Fund has been delivered to the Scottish Government.

Mr Simon Clarke: The Barnett formula applies to changes in departmental DEL budgets, not when departments make spending or policy announcements. The UK government has provided the Scottish Government with an additional £6.5bn of Barnett-based funding this year and it is for the Scottish Government to decide how to allocate this funding across its devolved responsibilities, including how to provide support to the culture sector. If the Treasury provides additional funding to departments in areas that are devolved in Scotland then the Scottish Government will receive additional Barnett based funding. For example, the Scottish Government’s funding for this year was increased by £605 million at the Autumn Budget through the Barnett formula.

Insurance Companies: Regulation

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to publish formal proposals arising from the Solvency II Review; and if he will make a statement on the timetable for implementation of those proposals.

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of expanding eligibility for the Matching Adjustment to include morbidity liabilities as part of the Solvency II Review.

John Glen: The Government published a Call for Evidence for its Review of Solvency II in October 2020. The Government published a Response to its Call for Evidence on 1 July 2021. This Response set out the next steps including a consultation in early 2022. The matching adjustment was identified in the Call for Evidence as an area for review. As noted in the Response to the Call for Evidence, “respondents also raised a variety of other eligibility-related points, for example that the eligibility of liabilities for the matching adjustment could be expanded”. The Government is considering the range of views received on this topic.

Electronic Funds Transfer: Fraud

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the findings of the Financial Ombudsman Service that complaints about authorised scams increased by 30 per cent in the second quarter of the 2021-22 financial year, what steps he is taking to tackle such thefts.

John Glen: The Government recognises that Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud is posing an escalating risk to UK customers, with increasingly sophisticated scams that can be detrimental to people’s lives. The financial services industry has taken action to date to tackle APP fraud, including through investment in anti-fraud capabilities, the creation of a voluntary reimbursement Code, and the implementation of initiatives such as Confirmation of Payee. However, whilst the Government welcomes these initiatives, it is clear that more needs to be done both to prevent these scams, and to ensure that victims are not left paying for fraud through no fault of their own. The Government therefore welcomed the recent publication of a consultation on APP scams by the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), which set out various potential measures that could improve scam prevention and outcomes, including proposals to introduce mandatory requirements to reimburse victims. Alongside this, the Government has confirmed it will act to address any legislative barriers to the PSR taking regulatory action on APP scam reimbursement when parliamentary time allows.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Travel Restrictions: Coronavirus

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what additional support she will give to the tourist sector in response to covid-19 restrictions on travel to the UK.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government has put in place a measured and proportionate set of restrictions to continue to support the tourism sector. To support businesses through this next phase, the ‘Working Safely’ guidance will continue to provide advice on sensible precautions employers can take to manage risk and support their staff and customers.Hospitality businesses are exempt from enforcing customers to wear masks and this assessment has been made from a practical point of view as the nature of hospitality visits is to eat and drink.The Government has worked to strike a balance with introducing new measures.The Government has introduced a new temporary business rates relief in England for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties for 2022-23, worth almost £1.7 billion. The VAT rate for goods and services supplied by the tourism and hospitality sector has also been cut, and will remain at the reduced rate of 12.5% until 31 March 2022, to help businesses manage the transition back to the standard rate.The recent changes demonstrate the government’s focus on protecting the UK from the most dangerous variants while supporting the travel sector’s safe reopening.We are continuing to listen to stakeholders during this time.

Sports: Mental Health

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to tackle depression in sports.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government’s sport strategy ‘Sporting Future’ recognises the positive impact that being physically active has on mental health, and the importance of welfare and wellbeing for people participating in sport at all levels.Sport England, DCMS's arm’s length body for grassroots sport in England, launched a new ten year strategy 'Uniting the Movement’ in January 2021 which prioritises the importance of improving mental health and wellbeing through sport and physical activity. They have also committed to working with partners on health and wellbeing, and supporting communities through social prescribing.Since 2017, Sport England have invested £280 million into grassroots programmes with mental wellbeing outcomes, as well as £5.5 million into partnerships with expert mental health organisations, such as Mind and Rethink. Mind’s ‘Get Set to Go’ programme has supported 8,000 people to improve their mental health through engaging in physical activity since its launch in 2014. Sport England have also worked closely with national partners such as Public Health England (now Office for Health Improvement and Disparities) and the Royal College of GPs to develop the Moving Healthcare Professionals programme, improving social prescribing links by providing support for healthcare professionals to promote physical activity to patients.At the elite level, the Government published its Mental Health and Elite Sport Action Plan in 2018, setting out a range of actions to improve the support available to athletes, the sharing of best practice across the sector, and mental health education and training. Following this UK Sport, DCMS’s arm’s length body for elite sport, launched its own mental health strategy as well as a programme of mental health education to support athletes and promote positive mental health across the UK’s high performance system.

Sportsgrounds: Disability

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure football stadia are accessible for disabled supporters.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government wants to be at the forefront of equality and we recognise the need for everyone to be able to access live sport. We are clear that all sports grounds should be inclusive and accessible to all spectators.We expect all sports and all clubs to take the necessary action to fulfil their legal obligation under the Equality Act of 2010 to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people are not placed at a substantial disadvantage when accessing sports venues.With the support of Level Playing Field, the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) developed the Accessible Stadia document and Accessible Stadia Supplementary Guidance as a benchmark of good practice for new and existing sports grounds. It offers practical, clear solutions that will help deliver high-quality grounds with facilities and services that are accessible, inclusive and welcoming for all. Level Playing Field are currently leading an update of this guidance to reflect the latest developments in practice and design.

Holiday Accommodation: Registration

Nickie Aiken: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent progress her Department has made on the consultation on the introduction of a Tourist Accommodation Registration Scheme in England.

Nigel Huddleston: Prior to Covid-19, we had been planning to explore the merits and feasibility of introducing a Tourist Accomodation Registration Scheme.The Government intends to publish a call for evidence on matters associated with short term holiday lettings in early 2022.This will assist in developing proportionate, evidence-based policy options for a subsequent consultation.The Government is committed to hearing the views of all interested parties as part of this call for evidence.

Events Industry: Insurance

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2021 to Question 84357 on Events Industry: Insurance, how many polices have been underwritten by the Live Events Reinsurance Scheme since its launch.

Julia Lopez: As set out in its response of 3 December, the government is unable to share commercially sensitive data related to the Live Events Reinsurance Scheme.

Events Industry: Insurance

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2021 to Question 84357 on Events Industry: Insurance, if she will publish a breakdown of which sectors have taken out a policy underwritten by the Live Events Reinsurance scheme for (a) live music events, (b) conferences, (c) theatre productions and (d) commercial Christmas events.

Julia Lopez: As set out in its response of 3 December, the government is unable to share commercially sensitive data about the events that have purchased eligible policies. We can confirm the scheme has provided cover to a broad range of events, including conferences and Christmas events.

Prime Minister

Prime Minister: Coronavirus

Ed Davey: To ask the Prime Minister, how many Christmas and/or staff parties he attended between 15 and 24 December 2020; and what steps he took to ensure (a) he and (b) his staff were compliant with the Government’s rules and advice on covid-19; and if he will make a statement.

Boris Johnson: I refer the Hon. Member to the answers I gave at Prime Minister’s Questions on 8 December. I have asked the Cabinet Secretary to establish the facts around compliance with the covid rules and to report back as soon as possible.

Small Businesses: Festivals and Special Occasions

Ruth Jones: To ask the Prime Minister, whether he took steps to mark Small Business Saturday 2021.

Boris Johnson: To mark Small Business Saturday I hosted a food and drink market in Downing Street to showcase British businesses that are making the most out of our international trade. We currently export to 207 countries but this Government is supporting British food and drink exporters to sell even more of their brilliant produce abroad.